As a long-term, time-bound, national-level policy, the Government of India ( GoI) has initiated the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). The programme aims to resolve the issue of air pollution across the country in a holistic way. The aim is to reach a 20 percent -30 percent reduction in concentrations of particulate matter by 2024, retaining 2017 as the base year for concentration comparison.

 

♦ 122 non-attainment cities were established across the country under NCAP on the basis of the 2014-2018 Air Quality results.

♦ Actions to improve the surveillance network, minimise vehicle / industrial emissions, raise public awareness, etc. are included in city-specific action plans.

♦ The programme will track the implementation of city-specific action plans, which are periodically reviewed by the Steering Committee, the Implementation Committee and the Monitoring Committee of the Central and State Level Committees.

♦ Cities` air quality is controlled by State Pollution Control Boards (SPCB) which occasionally publish their results.

♦ In addition, few Smart Cities have set up Integrated Command and Control Centers (ICCCs) which are linked to Air Quality Monitors (AQMs) for efficient monitoring.