**Executive Summary**
This document is a response to an unstarred question regarding air pollution in Uttar Pradesh, scheduled to be answered on December 1, 2025. It details the Government of India's initiatives, particularly the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), to improve air quality in 17 cities in Uttar Pradesh. The report includes information on the funds released for the program and the measures being implemented.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **National Clean Air Programme (NCAP):**
* Launched in January 2019 by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
* Aims to improve air quality in 130 non-attainment and million-plus cities across 24 States and Union Territories through national, state, and city-level clean air action plans.
* ₹ 2941.15 crore has been released to Uttar Pradesh under NCAP.
* **City-Specific Clean Air Action Plans:**
* Prepared by 17 cities in Uttar Pradesh.
* Target air pollution sources such as soil & road dust, vehicular emissions, waste burning, construction & demolition activities, and industrial pollution.
* **Air Quality Management Measures Implemented:**
* End-to-end pavement of 3,666 km of roads.
* Mechanized road sweeping of 2375 km/day.
* Greening of 2,800 acres of open spaces and 366 acres along traffic corridors.
* Improvement of 25 traffic junctions.
* Conversion of 37 crematoriums to cleaner fuels/equipped with pollution-control devices.
* Public outreach and awareness campaigns via the ‘MY Bharat’ platform.
* **Industrial Pollution Control:**
* CPCB identified 13 industrial areas into 10 critically and 3 severely polluted areas.
* Action plans prepared by Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board and implemented by industries to reduce pollution.
* 690 out of 777 industries (pertaining to 17 Red categories) have installed Online Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (OCEMS).
* CPCB has issued directions to the remaining 87 industries to install OCEMS.
* **Monitoring Committees:**
* Steering Committee under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary.
* Air Quality Monitoring Committee (AQMC) under Additional Chief Secretary/ Principal Secretary, Environment, Forest and climate Change Department.
* City Level Implementation Committee (CLIC) under the chairmanship of District Collector.
* **Air Quality Improvement:**
* Out of 23 cities measured, 17 cities have shown an increase in good air quality days (AQI<200) in 2024 compared to 2023.
* 11.4-76.8% reduction in air pollution (PM10 levels) in all 17 targeted cities in FY 2024-25 compared to 2017-18 levels.
* Bareilly, Varanasi, and Jhansi have met the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for PM10 levels.
**Impact Analysis**
**Uttar Pradesh State Government (Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Department)**
* **Impact:** Responsible for implementing and overseeing the NCAP and associated action plans to improve air quality.
* **Action Required:** Continue monitoring air quality, implementing city-specific action plans, and ensuring industries comply with pollution control measures.
**Industries in Uttar Pradesh**
* **Impact:** Subject to regulations and action plans aimed at reducing industrial pollution.
* **Action Required:** Implement action plans, install and maintain Online Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (OCEMS), and comply with directions issued by the CPCB and Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board.
**Citizens of Uttar Pradesh**
* **Impact:** Directly benefit from improved air quality through the implementation of NCAP and other measures.
* **Action Required:** Participate in public outreach and awareness campaigns, and support initiatives aimed at reducing air pollution.
**Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)**
* **Impact:** Plays a key role in identifying polluted areas and directing industries to take necessary measures.
* **Action Required:** Continue to monitor and assess air quality, provide guidance to state governments and industries, and enforce environmental regulations.
**District Collectors (of the 17 cities)**
* **Impact:** Responsible for overseeing and implementing the City Level Implementation Committee (CLIC)
* **Action Required:** Plan and implement air pollution reduction measures.
Key Entities Referenced
National Clean Air Programme (NCAP): A key initiative launched by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in January 2019 to improve air quality in 130 non-attainment and million-plus cities across 24 States and Union Territories.
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC): The central ministry responsible for launching and overseeing the National Clean Air Programme and addressing air pollution.
Uttar Pradesh: The state where air pollution is being addressed through the implementation of city action plans under the National Clean Air Programme.
Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board: Agency involved in implementing action plans to address pollution in industrial areas.
OIH
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 110
TO BE ANSWERED ON 01.12.2025
Air Pollution in Uttar Pradesh
110. SHRI IMRAN MASOOD:
Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:
(a) whether a continuous decline has been registered in the Air Quality Index in major industrial
cities of Uttar Pradesh like Kanpur, Ghaziabad, Noida, Lucknow etc.;
(b) if so, the major steps taken by the Government to control air pollution during the last three
years and the current year;
(c) whether the State Government has set up a special monitoring cell to control industrial
pollution;
(d) if so, the details of the structure and functioning of the said monitoring cell;
(e) whether any concrete improvement has been registered in the pollution level as a result of
these measures; and
(f) if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND
CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)
(a) to (f) To control air pollution and improve air quality across the country, the Government of
India has introduced several measures. One key initiative is the National Clean Air Programme
(NCAP), launched by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in
January 2019. The programme aims to improve air quality in 130 non-attainment and million-plus
cities across 24 States and Union Territories through the implementation of national, state, and
city-level clean air action plans.
17 cities of Uttar Pradesh are included under National Clean Air Programme for implementing city
action plans. An amount of ₹ 2941.15 crore has been released to Uttar Pradesh under NCAP for
implementation of air quality improvement measures as part of city action plans.
City Specific Clean Air Action Plans have been prepared by all 17 cities to implement air quality
improvement measures. These plans target air pollution sources like soil & road dust, vehicular
emissions, waste burning, Construction & Demolition activities, and industrial pollution.Air quality management measures implemented in Uttar Pradesh include end-to-end pavement of
3,666 km of roads, mechanized road sweeping of 2375 km/day, greening of 2,800 acres of open
spaces and greening of 366 acres along traffic corridors. Further, 25 traffic junctions have been
improved to ease congestion, 37 crematoriums have been converted to cleaner fuels or equipped
with pollution-control devices, and public outreach and awareness campaigns have been carried
out with the involvement of youth through the ‘MY Bharat’ platform.
CPCB identified 13 industrial areas into 10 critically and 3 severely polluted areas in Uttar Pradesh.
Action plans to address pollution in these industrial areas have been prepared by Uttar Pradesh
Pollution Control Board and are implemented by the respective industries for reducing the
pollution in respective industrial areas. Out of 777 industries (pertaining to 17 Red categories)
located in Uttar Pradesh, 690 industries have installed Online Continuous Emission Monitoring
Systems (OCEMS). CPCB has issued directions to the 87 industries which have not installed
OCEMS.
Government of Uttar Pradesh has constituted Steering Committee under the chairmanship of Chief
Secretary and Air Quality Monitoring Committee (AQMC) under Additional Chief Secretary/
Principal Secretary, Environment, Forest and climate Change Department for monitoring and
implementation of clean air action plans including industrial pollution and 17 cities have
constituted City Level Implementation Committee (CLIC) under the chairmanship of District
Collector to plan and implement air pollution reduction measures.
Out of 23 cities measured for Air Quality Index (AQI), 17 cities have shown increase in good air
quality days (AQI<200) in the year 2024 as compared to the year 2023. Further, the efforts under
NCAP have shown 11.4-76.8% reduction in air pollution in terms PM10 levels in all 17 targeted
cities of UP in FY 2024-25 as compared to the levels of 2017-18. Three cities namely Bareilly,
Varanasi and Jhansi have met the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for PM10 levels. Details
of improvement of air quality in 17 targeted cities in Uttar Pradesh are provided at Annexure I.
*****Annexure I
Air quality improvement in 17 cities of Uttar Pradesh under NCAP in PM10 concentrations
Annual Average Annual Average
% improvement
PM10 PM10
in FY 2024-25
State Cities concentration in concentration in
compared to FY
µg/m3 µg/m3
2017-18
(in FY 2017-2018) (in FY 2024-25)
Bareily 207 48 76.8
Varanasi 230 59 74.3
Firozabad 247 100 59.5
Moradabad 222 96 56.8
Kanpur 227 102 55.1
Agra 202 103 49
Ghaziabad 285 154 46
Raebareli 145 79 45.5
Uttar
Jhansi 109 60 45
Pradesh
Lucknow 253 142 43.9
Allahabad 169 99 41.4
Noida 229 149 34.9
Gorakhpur 150 105 30
Gajraula 204 148 27.5
Khurja 195 159 18.5
Meerut 159 133 16.4
Anpara 175 155 11.4
Annual National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for PM10 concentrations: 60 µg/m3