Air quality a nationwide crisis, government response exceedingly ineffective: Congress

The Congress connected Sunday (January 11, 2026) cited a study to assertion that aerial prime is simply a nation-wide, structural situation for which the authorities effect is "exceedingly ineffective and inadequate", arsenic it demanded a thorough betterment of the National Clear Air Programme.

Congress wide caput in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the NCAP propagated arsenic the National Clear Air Programme is really different benignant of NCAP - "Notional Clear Air Programme".

The erstwhile Environment Minister said a caller investigation by the Centre for Research connected Energy and Clean Air (CREA) has present confirmed what was ever India's "worst-kept concealed that the aerial prime is simply a nation-wide, structural situation for which the authorities effect is exceedingly ineffective and inadequate".

Also Read | Air prime crossed India worsened successful October 2025: CREA report

Using outer data, the survey recovered that astir 44% of Indian cities that is 1,787 retired of 4,041 statutory towns assessed person chronic aerial pollution, with yearly PM2.5 levels consistently exceeding the nationalist modular implicit 5 years (2019-2024, excluding 2020), Mr. Ramesh said successful a statement.

Pointing retired that the study besides highlighted the ineffectiveness of the NCAP, the Congress person said that contempt the standard of the occupation (1,787 towns), lone 130 cities are covered nether the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).

Of these 130 cities, 28 inactive deficiency continuous ambient aerial prime monitoring stations (CAAQMS), helium claimed.

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Among the 102 cities with monitoring infrastructure, 100 reported PM10 levels of 80% oregon higher, Mr. Ramesh said, adding that successful totality, NCAP presently addresses lone 4% of India's chronically polluted cities.

"The archetypal measurement indispensable beryllium to admit the nationalist wellness situation linked to aerial contamination crossed wide swathes of India. Consequently, fixed this crisis, we indispensable revisit and wholly revamp some the Air Pollution (Control and Prevention) Act of 1981 and the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) enactment into effect successful November 2009," Mr. Ramesh said.

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As per the NAAQS the permissible attraction of good particulate substance is 60 ug/m3 for a 24-hour period, and 40 ug/m3 annually versus the guidelines of little than 15 ug/m3 for a 24-hour play and 5 ug/m3 annually acceptable by the WHO, helium pointed out.

Mr. Ramesh urged the authorities to drastically summation the funds made disposable nether the NCAP.

"The existent budget, inclusive of NCAP backing and the 15th Finance Commission's grants, is astir Rs. 10,500 crore, dispersed crossed 131 cities! Our cities request astatine slightest 10-20 times much funding. NCAP indispensable beryllium made a Rs 25,000 crore programme and dispersed crossed the 1,000 astir polluted towns successful the country," helium said.

The NCAP indispensable follow measurement of PM 2.5 levels arsenic the yardstick for show NCAP indispensable reorient its absorption to cardinal sources of emissions — burning of coagulated fuels, vehicular emissions, and concern emissions, the erstwhile Environment Minister said.

"The NCAP indispensable beryllium fixed ineligible backing, an enforcement mechanism, and superior information monitoring capableness for each Indian city, beyond the existent absorption lone connected 'non- attainment' cities," helium argued.

Mr. Ramesh asserted that aerial contamination norms for ember powerfulness plants indispensable beryllium enforced immediately.

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All powerfulness plants indispensable instal a Fluoride Gas Desulfurizer (FGD) by the extremity of 2026, helium said.

"The National Green Tribunal's independency indispensable beryllium restored, and the anti-people biology instrumentality amendments of the past 10 years indispensable beryllium rolled back," Mr. Ramesh said.

"Twice truthful acold successful Parliament — archetypal connected 29th July 2024 and past connected 9th December 2025 — the Modi Government has tried to downplay the wellness interaction of aerial pollution. The Modi Government is not unsighted to the truth, it is lone attempting to screen up the standard of its incompetence and negligence," the Congress person alleged.