
National Clean Air Program
The union government launched the National Clean Air Program (NCAP) on 10th January 2019 to address air pollution in 102 cities, to which 20 more cities were added later in the year. These cities are referred to as non-attainment cities (NACs) as they did not meet the following national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for the period of 2011-15 under the National Air Quality Monitoring Program (NAMP).
PM10 – 60 micrograms/cubic metre (annual)
PM2.5 – 40 micrograms/cubic metre (annual)
NCAP Targets
The NCAP has set a target of reducing key air pollutants PM10 and PM2.5 (ultra-fine particulate matter) by 20-30% in 2024 taking 2017 as the base year. Particulate matters are hazardous as these can cause serious health problems.
Entities involved in the program
The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) are leading the program at the national level. At the state level, State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) are mandated to develop the city action plans and monitor their implementation by identified departments and agencies.
A technical institution in every state has been identified to support the SPCB who are listed here –

2024 target of 20 to 30%
Analysis of pollution levels in many cities in the NCAP program shows that they will continue to remain polluted even if the target of reducing 20-30% of PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations are achieved in the next five years.
# | Name | State | 2017 | Targeted PM 10 in 2024 by NCAP |
1 | Vijayawada | Andhra Pradesh | 99 | 70 |
2 | Kurnool | Andhra Pradesh | 82 | 57 |
3 | Anantapur | Andhra Pradesh | 78 | 55 |
4 | Eluru | Andhra Pradesh | 74 | 52 |
5 | Kadapa | Andhra Pradesh | 74 | 52 |
6 | Visakhapatnam | Andhra Pradesh | 73 | 51 |
7 | Vizianagaram | Andhra Pradesh | 72 | 50 |
8 | Srikakulam | Andhra Pradesh | 70 | 49 |
9 | Chittoor | Andhra Pradesh | 69 | 48 |
10 | Guntur | Andhra Pradesh | 69 | 48 |
11 | Ongole | Andhra Pradesh | 65 | 46 |
12 | Rajahmundry | Andhra Pradesh | 65 | 46 |
13 | Nellore | Andhra Pradesh | 65 | 46 |
14 | Guwahati | Assam | 106 | 74 |
15 | Nalbari | Assam | 95 | 67 |
16 | Sivasagar | Assam | 81 | 57 |
17 | Nagaon | Assam | 75 | 53 |
18 | Silcher | Assam | 49 | 34 |
19 | Muzaffarpur | Bihar | 167 | 117 |
20 | Patna | Bihar | 157 | 110 |
21 | Gaya | Bihar | 77 | 54 |
22 | Chandigarh | Chandigarh | 109 | 76 |
23 | Raipur | Chhattisgarh | 103 | 72 |
24 | Bhilai | Chhattisgarh | 97 | 68 |
25 | Korba | Chhattisgarh | 58 | 41 |
26 | Delhi | Delhi | 240 | 168 |
27 | Ahmedabad | Gujarat | 120 | 84 |
28 | Vadodara | Gujarat | 108 | 76 |
29 | Surat | Gujarat | 106 | 74 |
30 | Baddi | Himachal Pradesh | 172 | 121 |
31 | Nalagarh | Himachal Pradesh | 147 | 103 |
32 | Kala Amb | Himachal Pradesh | 119 | 83 |
33 | Paonta Sahib | Himachal Pradesh | 84 | 59 |
34 | Sunder Nagar | Himachal Pradesh | 73 | 51 |
35 | Parwanoo | Himachal Pradesh | 65 | 46 |
36 | Damtal | Himachal Pradesh | 63 | 44 |
37 | Jammu | Jammu & Kashmir | 149 | 104 |
38 | Srinagar | Jammu & Kashmir | ||
39 | Dhanbad | Jharkhand | 238 | 167 |
40 | Bangalore | Karnataka | 92 | 64 |
41 | Devanagere | Karnataka | 87 | 61 |
42 | Hubli | Karnataka | 79 | 55 |
43 | Gulbarga | Karnataka | 54 | 38 |
44 | Gwalior | Madhya Pradesh | 110 | 77 |
45 | Bhopal | Madhya Pradesh | 93 | 65 |
46 | Indore | Madhya Pradesh | 80 | 56 |
47 | Dewas | Madhya Pradesh | 75 | 52 |
48 | Ujjain | Madhya Pradesh | 75 | 53 |
49 | Sagar | Madhya Pradesh | 70 | 49 |
50 | Badlapur | Maharashtra | 159 | 111 |
51 | Mumbai | Maharashtra | 151 | 106 |
52 | Ulhasnagar | Maharashtra | 150 | 105 |
53 | Chandrapur | Maharashtra | 146 | 102 |
54 | Akola | Maharashtra | 127 | 89 |
55 | Thane | Maharashtra | 125 | 88 |
56 | Amravati | Maharashtra | 106 | 74 |
57 | Navi Mumbai | Maharashtra | 105 | 74 |
58 | Nagpur | Maharashtra | 102 | 71 |
59 | Pune | Maharashtra | 102 | 71 |
60 | Jalna | Maharashtra | 101 | 71 |
61 | Kolhapur | Maharashtra | 90 | 63 |
62 | Aurangabad | Maharashtra | 83 | 58 |
63 | Latur | Maharashtra | 81 | 56 |
64 | Nashik | Maharashtra | 81 | 57 |
65 | Jalgaon | Maharashtra | 77 | 54 |
66 | Sangli | Maharashtra | 76 | 53 |
67 | Solapur | Maharashtra | 64 | 45 |
68 | Byrnihat | Meghalaya | 174 | 122 |
69 | Dimapur | Nagaland | 138 | 97 |
70 | Kohima | Nagaland | 114 | 80 |
71 | Kalinga Nagar | Odisha | 126 | 88 |
72 | Rourkela | Odisha | 117 | 82 |
73 | Talcher | Odisha | 96 | 67 |
74 | Angul | Odisha | 95 | 66 |
75 | Bhubaneswar | Odisha | 91 | 64 |
76 | Cuttack | Odisha | 87 | 61 |
77 | Balasore | Odisha | 83 | 58 |
78 | Jalandhar | Punjab | 223 | 156 |
79 | Amritsar | Punjab | 168 | 118 |
80 | Ludhiana | Punjab | 162 | 113 |
81 | Khanna | Punjab | 139 | 97 |
82 | Mandi Gobindgarh | Punjab | 136 | 95 |
83 | Patiala | Punjab | 102 | 71 |
84 | Dera Bassi | Punjab | 93 | 65 |
85 | Naya Nangal | Punjab | 91 | 63 |
86 | Dera Baba Nanak | Punjab | 90 | 63 |
87 | Jodhpur | Rajasthan | 180 | 126 |
88 | Jaipur | Rajasthan | 177 | 124 |
89 | Alwar | Rajasthan | 134 | 94 |
90 | Kota | Rajasthan | 131 | 91 |
91 | Udaipur | Rajasthan | 125 | 88 |
92 | Thoothukudi/ Tuticorin | Tamil Nadu | 132 | 93 |
93 | Trichy | Tamil Nadu | 86 | 60 |
94 | Hyderabad | Telangana | 108 | 75 |
95 | Sangareddy | Telangana | 79 | 55 |
96 | Patancheru | Telangana | 78 | 55 |
97 | Nalgonda | Telangana | 60 | 42 |
98 | Ghaziabad | Uttar Pradesh | 281 | 196 |
99 | Lucknow | Uttar Pradesh | 246 | 172 |
100 | Varanasi | Uttar Pradesh | 244 | 171 |
101 | Kanpur | Uttar Pradesh | 224 | 157 |
102 | Firozabad | Uttar Pradesh | 220 | 154 |
103 | Moradabad | Uttar Pradesh | 217 | 152 |
104 | Noida | Uttar Pradesh | 216 | 151 |
105 | Khurja | Uttar Pradesh | 209 | 146 |
106 | Gajraula | Uttar Pradesh | 207 | 145 |
107 | Bareilly | Uttar Pradesh | 195 | 137 |
108 | Agra | Uttar Pradesh | 185 | 129 |
109 | Anpara/ Sonbhadra | Uttar Pradesh | 154 | 107 |
110 | Rai Bareilly | Uttar Pradesh | 141 | 98 |
111 | Allahabad | Uttar Pradesh | 140 | 98 |
112 | Jhansi | Uttar Pradesh | 113 | 79 |
113 | Dehradun | Uttarakhand | 248 | 174 |
114 | Rishikesh | Uttarakhand | 128 | 90 |
115 | Kashipur | Uttarakhand | 111 | 78 |
116 | Asansol | West Bengal | 163 | 114 |
117 | Durgapur | West Bengal | 155 | 108 |
118 | Raniganj | West Bengal | 147 | 103 |
119 | Kolkata | West Bengal | 120 | 84 |
120 | Howrah | West Bengal | 110 | 77 |
121 | Haldia | West Bengal | 97 | 68 |
122 | Barrackpore | West Bengal | 90 | 63 |
Funding allocated – 2019-2020 – 460 cr
Out of the 102 cities, for 28 of them with over 10 lakh population and air quality of PM10 > 90ug/m³, the Union Environment Ministry has allocated ₹10 crore fund for 2 years.
The 28 cities are:
- Vijaywada
- Patna
- Chandigarh
- Raipur
- Bhilai
- Ahmedabad
- Surat
- Dhanbad
- Bengaluru
- Bhopal
- Gwalior
- Mumbai
- Navi Mumbai
- Pune
- Nagpur
- Twin City Bhubneshwar & Cuttack
- Ludhiana
- Amritsar
- Jaipur
- Jodhpur
- Kota
- Hyderabad
- Lucknow
- Kanpur
- Agra
- Varanasi
- Prayagraj (Allahabad)
- Kolkata
For the remaining non-attainment cities, funding of ₹10 lakh per city for those with a population of less than five lakh and ₹20 lakh per city for those with a population of five to 10 lakh have been sanctioned.
Information Source
All data on the budget and actual disbursement has been sourced through RTIs from Union Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in December 2019.
All data on air quality monitors (AQM) and PM levels has been sourced from CPCB and NAMP.