Overview
- An independent CREA analysis using satellite data found 1,787 of 4,041 statutory towns breaching annual PM2.5 standards for five consecutive years between 2019 and 2024, excluding 2020.
- Congress says the NCAP covers only 130 cities, addressing about 4% of chronically polluted towns, with 28 of those cities lacking continuous monitoring stations.
- Among 102 NCAP cities with monitoring in place, 100 reported PM10 levels at 80% or higher, which Congress cites as evidence of weak implementation and poor benchmarking.
- The party proposes expanding NCAP into a Rs 25,000‑crore, PM2.5‑focused programme covering 1,000 towns with legal backing, robust enforcement and comprehensive citywide data systems.
- Demands include immediate enforcement of coal‑plant emission norms with mandatory flue‑gas desulphurisation by end‑2026 and restoration of the National Green Tribunal’s independence.