Faridabad's Clean Air Funds Remain Half-Unused as Pollution Persists
Fresh government data reveals that Faridabad has utilized merely 50% of its allocated National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) budget, despite remaining a designated 'non-attainment city' for seven consecutive years. The city spent only Rs 53.2 crore out of Rs 107 crore released under the national initiative, leaving substantial financial resources idle while air quality continues to breach permissible limits.
Persistent Failure to Meet National Air Quality Standards
Faridabad has repeatedly failed to achieve compliance with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), even though particulate matter PM10 concentrations have decreased by approximately one-third over the past five years. The latest annual PM10 reading of 153 µg/m³ in 2024-25 represents a 33% reduction from the 2020-21 level of 209 µg/m³. However, this concentration remains alarmingly high—over 2.5 times greater than the national annual permissible limit of 60 µg/m³.
"The city cannot afford to leave half its NCAP funds idle," emphasized Manoj Kumar, an analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). Kumar further elaborated that "assessing how these funds contributed to reductions in PM10 levels and identifying the most impactful measures is crucial. This evaluation can strengthen future implementation by ensuring resources are directed toward interventions that deliver long-term air quality improvements."
Uneven Progress in PM10 Reduction Over Five Years
Annual PM10 data illustrates a gradual but inconsistent improvement trajectory:
- 2020-21: 229 µg/m³
- 2021-22: 209 µg/m³
- 2022-23: 212 µg/m³
- 2023-24: 190 µg/m³
- 2024-25: 153 µg/m³
An earlier analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) determined that Faridabad achieved only a 17% reduction in PM10 by 2024 compared to the baseline year of 2020-21, as continuous PM10 data was unavailable before that period.
Imbalanced Allocation of NCAP Funds
The majority of utilized NCAP resources have been directed toward dust control measures, including:
- Mechanized road sweeping
- Water sprinklers for dust suppression
- Black-topping of road stretches
- Pavement construction
According to an RTI-based analysis by CSE, less than 1% of NCAP funds were allocated to addressing industrial pollution sources. A senior Municipal Corporation of Faridabad (MCF) official defended this allocation strategy, stating that "most industries in Faridabad have already been relocated outside the National Capital Region. Consequently, spending prioritizes traffic management and preventing dust resuspension. Funds have also supported electric vehicle charging infrastructure development and official skill enhancement programs." Additional allocations covered public awareness campaigns and afforestation initiatives.
Systemic Challenges and Calls for NCAP 2.0 Reforms
Sunil Dahiya, founder and lead analyst at think-tank Envirocatalysts, highlighted structural deficiencies: "The absence of emission load reduction targets for key contributing sectors within cities and their broader airsheds, combined with unclear accountability demarcations, explains why we haven't witnessed systematic, aggressive air quality improvements. NCAP 2.0 must leverage available data and tools to empower governments, administrations, and polluting sectors to undertake aggressive emission load reduction at source."
Environmental researchers acknowledge Faridabad's incremental PM10 improvement as positive but insufficient, particularly given the magnitude of pollution sources and the substantial unutilized financial resources. The city's ongoing struggle to meet clean air standards underscores the urgent need for more effective fund deployment and comprehensive pollution control strategies.
