Overview
- CREA’s 2019–2024 analysis of 4,041 statutory towns (excluding 2020) shows 1,787 cities exceeded the national annual PM2.5 standard every year.
- NCAP’s coverage reaches 130 cities but addresses roughly 4% of chronic non-attainment, with 28 listed cities still lacking continuous monitoring stations.
- Byrnihat led 2025 PM2.5 levels at 100 µg/m³, followed by Delhi at 96 µg/m³ and Ghaziabad at 93 µg/m³.
- Programme outcomes are uneven: 23 cities hit the revised 40% PM10 reduction target while 23 saw increases, and Delhi’s PM10 average is about three times the national standard, with parts of the city registering ‘poor’ to ‘very poor’ air today per CPCB data.
- Since 2019, Rs 13,415 crore has been released under NCAP with 74% utilisation, much of it directed to road dust management, as CREA urges source-focused, airshed-based reforms and stricter industrial standards.