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India's Air Program Misses Most Polluted Cities
9 Jan
Summary
- Air pollution control program reaches only a fraction of cities.
- Byrnihat, Meghalaya, is India's most polluted city by PM2.5.
- Nearly 44% of Indian cities are in chronic non-attainment category.
India's National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) is reaching only a small fraction of the cities most affected by air pollution. A new analysis reveals that Byrnihat in Meghalaya is the most polluted city, with 190 cities exceeding PM10 and 103 exceeding PM2.5 safe limits. This situation means nearly 44% of Indian cities are in a chronic non-attainment category.
The Tracing the Hazy Air 2026 assessment by CREA found significant regional disparities, with Uttar Pradesh having the highest number of non-attainment cities. Crucially, only about 4% of these chronically polluted cities are covered by the NCAP, which began in 2019. This limited scope means the program addresses only a minor part of the country's air pollution burden.
