<p>Bengaluru: Madikeri has been dubbed the "cleanest city in the country" in the Indian standards of PM10 pollution with a new study that looked into the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) noting that 25 cities in Karnataka met the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).</p><p>Researchers from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) looked into the impact of the NCAP on reducing pollution in India and highlighted the huge gaps that need to be addressed, particularly about particulate matters (PM 10, PM 2.5).</p><p>"Out of 130 cities, 28 still do not have continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations, and only 97 cities reported 80% or more PM10 data coverage," it said.</p><p>In 2024, 206 of the 253 cities exceeded the NAAQS with only 47 cities meeting the NAAQS. While 61 cities reported some pollution reduction, the concentration of PM10 exceeded the NAAQS. Despite these shortcomings, many cities have not even begun identifying the sources of pollution with only 50 cities preparing the source apportionment studies.</p>.The cleanest cities? It's not so simple.<p><strong>Karnataka's progress</strong></p><p>"Among states with a large number of assessed cities (more than 20), Rajasthan and Maharashtra exhibit critical challenges, with all 34 and 31 cities, respectively, exceeding the NAAQS. Similarly, Bihar and Haryana present alarming trends, with all 23 and 22 cities exceeding the standard. Karnataka, however, stands out positively, with 21 out of 25 cities meeting the NAAQS for PM10," the study said.</p><p>Karnataka also led the list of 'Top 50 cleanest cities'.</p><p>"Madikeri is the cleanest city in India with PM10 annual average of 32 micrograms per cubic metre. Although this value is within the NAAQS, it is twice the WHO recommended standards," the study said.</p><p>Manoj Kumar, an analyst at CREA who wrote the report, said the current NCAP misses a critical health component and primarily focuses on PM10 and the Centre should address this gap by prioritizing PM 2.5, as it poses a greater threat to human health.</p><p>"Epidemiological studies have consistently shown that PM 2.5 is linked to significantly higher increases in morbidity and mortality. Therefore, it is crucial to prioritize PM 2.5 over PM 10 in NCAP 2.0. Also, stricter emission standards must be enforced to address the rising fuel consumption across all sectors, with penalties for non-compliance and no extensions granted for delays in implementation,” he said.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: Madikeri has been dubbed the "cleanest city in the country" in the Indian standards of PM10 pollution with a new study that looked into the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) noting that 25 cities in Karnataka met the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).</p><p>Researchers from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) looked into the impact of the NCAP on reducing pollution in India and highlighted the huge gaps that need to be addressed, particularly about particulate matters (PM 10, PM 2.5).</p><p>"Out of 130 cities, 28 still do not have continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations, and only 97 cities reported 80% or more PM10 data coverage," it said.</p><p>In 2024, 206 of the 253 cities exceeded the NAAQS with only 47 cities meeting the NAAQS. While 61 cities reported some pollution reduction, the concentration of PM10 exceeded the NAAQS. Despite these shortcomings, many cities have not even begun identifying the sources of pollution with only 50 cities preparing the source apportionment studies.</p>.The cleanest cities? It's not so simple.<p><strong>Karnataka's progress</strong></p><p>"Among states with a large number of assessed cities (more than 20), Rajasthan and Maharashtra exhibit critical challenges, with all 34 and 31 cities, respectively, exceeding the NAAQS. Similarly, Bihar and Haryana present alarming trends, with all 23 and 22 cities exceeding the standard. Karnataka, however, stands out positively, with 21 out of 25 cities meeting the NAAQS for PM10," the study said.</p><p>Karnataka also led the list of 'Top 50 cleanest cities'.</p><p>"Madikeri is the cleanest city in India with PM10 annual average of 32 micrograms per cubic metre. Although this value is within the NAAQS, it is twice the WHO recommended standards," the study said.</p><p>Manoj Kumar, an analyst at CREA who wrote the report, said the current NCAP misses a critical health component and primarily focuses on PM10 and the Centre should address this gap by prioritizing PM 2.5, as it poses a greater threat to human health.</p><p>"Epidemiological studies have consistently shown that PM 2.5 is linked to significantly higher increases in morbidity and mortality. Therefore, it is crucial to prioritize PM 2.5 over PM 10 in NCAP 2.0. Also, stricter emission standards must be enforced to address the rising fuel consumption across all sectors, with penalties for non-compliance and no extensions granted for delays in implementation,” he said.</p>
