Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh Push for More Cities in National Clean Air Programme

Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh have requested the inclusion of additional cities in the National Clean Air Programme, citing climatic and pollution issues. While Rajasthan seeks to add five cities due to its arid conditions, Chhattisgarh wants Raigarh included because of rising pollution levels. The NCAP aims to significantly reduce particulate pollution by 2026.

The states of Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh have petitioned the central government to expand the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) to more cities within their jurisdictions. Rajasthan cites its difficult topography and climate as a rationale for including Ajmer, Barmer, Bharatpur, Bhilwara, and Jaisalmer, officials report.

Similarly, Chhattisgarh has made a case for incorporating Raigarh into the NCAP. This comes amid rising pollution levels in the district, as highlighted by Chhattisgarh's Environment Department Principal Secretary, R Sangeeta.

Meanwhile, the NCAP remains focused on reducing particulate pollution in 131 cities, with some towns already showing marked improvement. However, challenges persist as only a fraction of these cities have met national air quality standards to date.