Why is it in the news?

• National Cleaner Air Programme complete five years.

About NCAP

• Launched by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in 2019 in response to the escalating air pollution levels in India.
• Aim is to improve the air quality in 131 cities, comprising non-attainment cities (NAC) and Million Plus Cities, across 24 states. Non-attainment cities are those exceeding the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for five consecutive years.
• Set the target to achieve reductions of up to 40% in Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5) concentrations by the year 2025-26, with the base year being 2017.
• Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) oversees the national-level implementation.
• City Action Plans (CAPs) are developed and implemented by state governments and their respective agencies at the state and city levels, including municipal bodies.
• PRANA (Portal for Regulation of Air-pollution in NAC) was launched to monitor and ensure the effective implementation of NCAP.

Progress of NCAP in the Last 5 Years (Studies evaluating the program’s progress indicate a mixed scenario)

• Improvements in PM2.5 levels were recorded in 27 out of 49 cities.
• Similarly, improvements in PM10 levels were observed in 24 out of 46 cities.
• Cities like Varanasi, Agra, and Jodhpur showcased significant reductions in both PM2.5 and PM10 levels.