KOLKATA: The city's
fine particulate matter
(PM2.5) pollution has dipped almost 17% between 2019 and 2023, according to a recent analysis across 131 cities.
Experts have attributed the dip in PM2.5 count to the National Clear Air Programme (NCAP), which was launched in 2019 by the Union government with the aim of significantly improving air quality across the 131 cities.
PM2.5, or suspended
particulate matter
or droplets in the air that are 2.5 microns or less in width, are one of the most dangerous pollutants in urban and semi-urban areas. Its tiny size allows it to permeate straight into an individual's lungs and blood vessels, which could cause a host of serious ailments, including cancer.
Funds from the NCAP are utilised to arrest pollution in various ways: water-sprinkling on major roads to control dust; persuading and incentivising food vendors to switch to cleaner fuel; facilitating e-transport options; reducing diesel-run vehicles; and arresting fires at landfills, said state pollution control board (PCB) officials. Kolkata has received a total of Rs 687 crore, according to the analysis, of which it has utilised Rs 636 crore, or more than 92.5%.
The study was conducted by Climate Trends, a research-based consulting and capacity-building think tank, and Respirer Living Sciences, a Pune-based emissions monitoring and reporting agency, using data from the Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) network of Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations. Kolkata's average annual PM2.5 concentration in 2019 was 57.1 micrograms per cubic metre. In 2023, this was 47.4 micrograms per cubic metre, according to the study.
Kolkata, however, is still on the list of the top 10 most polluted Indian state capitals .
The National Clear Air Programme (NCAP), launched in 2019, has had some "very positive" impacts on air quality, PCB chairman Kalyan Rudra said. "But now it is time to switch to
regional air-shed management
, as
trans-boundary pollution
has been bothering us a lot. We, being at the tail end of the
Indo-Gangetic Plain
, are at the receiving end of the movement of pollutants," he added.
"NCAP's revised goal of a 40% reduction in particulate matter by 2026 reflects a commitment to ambitious environmental targets. As cities add new air quality monitoring stations, strengthened monitoring will give a better picture of the problem and allow for better mitigation measures. These must feed into the next phase of the NCAP," said Aarti Khosla, director, Climate Trends.
The NCAP's initial target was to reduce two key air pollutants - PM10 and PM2.5 - by 20%-30% by 2024, with 2017 levels as the base. In September 2022, the Centre revised this to a 40% dip by 2026.
Among the top-10 most polluted capitals, most showed improvement in PM2.5 levels. The exception was Mumbai, which recorded a 38% jump. Delhi saw an improvement of 5.9%, while Lucknow saw the highest improvement (41%), followed by Chennai at 33%.
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