A comprehensive study on what is polluting the air in India undertaken in 76 cities by the Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP), a research-based think tank, has found that only a few cities are on track to achieving the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) targets. NCAP was launched in 2019 by the Government of India, with an aim to improve air quality in 131 cities that do not meet the national air quality standards. The research spanning 2.5 years suggests that only 8 of the studied cities will be able to achieve 40% emission reduction by 2030. Further, local emissions are expected to increase by 11%–45% in these cities till 2030, relative to 2019 levels, significantly increasing pollution levels.
The study estimated the share of four major pollutants—PM10, PM2.5, SO2, and NOX—for the base year 2019 and projected the emission contributions from several sources till 2030. The outcomes were validated against transport and domestic fuel consumption surveys conducted in over 70% of the studied cities. The findings indicate that without targeted interventions, PM2.5 emissions are projected to increase in 2030. The study lists targeted interventions for major emission sources, such as industries, transportation, construction, and open burning, that should be prioritised in these cities to achieve NCAP targets and cleaner air.
Amishi Tewari and Hrishikesh Chandra Gautam co-authored the reports.
A portal for visualising the findings of the study was launched at the sixth edition of the India Clean Air Summit (ICAS), a premiere conference on air pollution organised by CSTEP on 26–30 August 2024.
City-specific reports can be downloaded from the portal.
