The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), launched in 2019, is India’s first national‐level policy framework to tackle urban air pollution. It provides a time-bound, collaborative, multi-sectoral approach to reduce PM concentrations in 131 identified non-attainment cities.
Key Features of NCAP:
Targets & Coverage:
- Reduction Targets: Initially aimed to reduce PM2.5 and PM10 by 20–30% by 2024. In 2022, the target was revised to 40% reduction in PM10 by 2025–26 or achieving national standards (60 µg/m³).
- Coverage: It applies to 131 non-attainment cities across 24 states/UTs. Cities voluntarily prepare Clean Air Action Plans (CAAPs) based on local pollution sources.
Institutional Structure:
· Multi-level Committees:
- Proposes central steering committee, monitoring committees, and implementation committees at state/ULB levels.
- Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) functions as the nodal implementing agency.
- PRANA Portal: Development of a central online platform, PRANA, for monitoring progress, compliance, activities & fund flow.
- Air Quality Monitoring Strengthening:
- Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS): It targets 150 stations. 531 stations are functional which is a major area of over-achievement.
- Rural Air Monitoring: It targets 100 rural stations though only 26 operational so far which highlights urban‐centric focus.
· Scientific Tools & Assessments:
o Emission Inventory systems: Mandates EI/SA for all non-attainment cities to identify local pollution sources. However, reports for most cities remain unpublished or unused.
o AQ Modelling: Encourages use of air dispersion models to capture transboundary pollution. E.g., stubble burning influence.
· Capacity Building: Performance-based Grant System: Cities must show 15% yearly reduction in PM10, and 200 “Good Air Days”, to continue receiving full funding.
· Public Awareness: Emphasises public participation, clean mobility, dust control, waste management, and IEC campaigns.
Limitations:
- Weak Implementation: Despite allocations of ₹10,422 crore, cities used only 40%.
- Inadequate Monitoring Infrastructure: NCAP targeted 1,500 manual stations by 2024, but only 931 are functional.
- Lack of Standardised Procedures: No uniform Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for source apportionment, emissions inventory, or enforcement.
- Limited Transparency: Committees exist on paper but lack clear accountability and public reporting.
Conclusion:
Strengthening NCAP with sharper accountability, robust monitoring networks and swift on-ground execution is key to achieve not National Clean Air Mission goals, but also SDG-3 (Good Health), SDG-11 (Sustainable Cities) and Panchamrit climate goals.
‘+1’ Value Addition:
- NCAP achieved 24.45% PM reduction (2019–24), but cities like Delhi (PM2.5 – 107 µg/m³) still exceed norms by over 2.5 times.
- The NCAP Tracker shows 9 of the 10 most polluted cities of 2019 improved PM levels but still exceed safe limits.
- CPCB’s 2024 data highlights that vehicles & road dust alone contributes 20–80% of urban PM10 in Indo-Gangetic Plain.
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