TGPSC Current Affairs September 16th 2026

Why in News?

The International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies was observed on September 7, highlighting the need for coordinated action against air pollution. India marked the occasion as Swachh Vayu Diwas and reviewed progress under the National Clean Air Programme. During 2025–26, 108 NCAP cities recorded lower annual PM10 levels than in 2017–18.

International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies

The United Nations General Assembly designated September 7 as the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies in 2019.

The observance seeks to:

• Increase public awareness about air pollution;
• Encourage national and international cooperation;
• Promote scientific air-quality management; and
• Support action for cleaner and healthier communities.

Clean air is essential for public health, environmental sustainability, labour productivity and economic development.

Understanding Air Pollution

• Air pollution occurs when harmful gases, liquid droplets or solid particles accumulate in the atmosphere at levels that damage human health or the environment.
• Major anthropogenic sources include transport, industries, thermal power, construction activity, road dust, waste burning and crop-residue burning. Natural sources include dust storms, forest fires and volcanic activity.

Particulate Matter

Particulate Matter consists of tiny solid particles or liquid droplets suspended in the atmosphere.

• PM10: Particles measuring 10 micrometres or less in diameter.
• PM2.5: Finer particles measuring 2.5 micrometres or less.

PM2.5 can penetrate deep into the lungs, while some particles may enter the bloodstream. Long-term exposure increases the risk of respiratory and cardiovascular illness.

Air-Quality Monitoring in India

National Air Quality Monitoring Programme

The Central Pollution Control Board initiated the National Ambient Air Quality Monitoring programme, which was subsequently renamed the National Air Quality Monitoring Programme.

Its objectives are to:

• Assess ambient air quality periodically;
• Identify pollution trends in urban areas;
• Estimate future changes;
• Detect violations of prescribed standards; and
• Evaluate possible health hazards.

As of March 2026, India’s monitoring network consisted of 1,646 stations across 603 cities, covering 28 States and seven Union Territories.

The SAMEER application and portal provide near real-time Air Quality Index information for more than 292 cities. Public grievance portals have also been established in NCAP cities.

Major Monitoring Systems

Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System

• CAAQMS provides automated, real-time monitoring of pollutants such as PM10, PM2.5, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, ozone and ammonia.

Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System

• AAQMS is a wider framework covering manual and automated stations. Manual monitoring generally involves collecting air samples over 24 hours and analysing them in laboratories.
• It also records meteorological factors such as temperature, humidity, wind speed and wind direction.

Online Continuous Emission Monitoring System

• OCEMS measures emissions directly at industrial facilities and continuously transmits data to regulatory authorities.
• The CPCB has directed 17 categories of highly polluting industries to install OCEMS. In Delhi-NCR, the requirement covers additional red-category industries, food-processing units and metal units.

Air Quality Index

The Air Quality Index communicates air quality through six categories. It is calculated using PM10, PM2.5, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, ozone, ammonia and lead. The pollutant with the worst sub-index determines the overall AQI.

National Clean Air Programme

• The government launched the National Clean Air Programme in 2019 as a mission-mode, multi-sectoral initiative covering 130 cities.
• It involves the Union Government, State governments, district administrations, Urban Local Bodies and other stakeholders. State- and city-specific action plans target locally important pollution sources through short- and long-term interventions.

Progress under NCAP

• Clean Air Action Plans have been prepared by 24 States and Union Territories and all participating cities.
• Between 2019–20 and 2025–26, ₹16,423.55 crore was provided through performance-linked grants.
• Cities reported utilisation of ₹11,575.54 crore, or 70.5% of the funds.
• In 2025–26, 108 cities recorded lower PM10 concentrations than the 2017–18 baseline.
• Of these, 72 achieved reductions exceeding 20%, while 26 recorded reductions above 40%.
• Fourteen cities complied with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.

PRANA Portal

• The Portal for Regulation of Air Pollution in Non-Attainment Cities monitors the physical and financial implementation of NCAP action plans.
• It improves transparency by providing information on activities, expenditure and implementation progress.

Swachh Vayu Survekshan

Launched in 2022–23 by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Swachh Vayu Survekshan assesses cities on their implementation of clean-air measures.

Cities are grouped into three categories:

• Population of 10 lakh or more;
• Population between three lakh and 10 lakh; and
• Population below three lakh.

In 2025, Indore, Amravati and Dewas topped the three respective categories.

In 2026, the leading cities were:

• Lucknow: Category 1
• Rourkela: Category 2
• Kalinganagar: Category 3

The 2026 assessment introduced ward-level evaluation across more than 7,400 wards. Ward 70 of Lucknow led the largest category, Wards 30 and 36 of Bhubaneswar topped the middle category, and Ward 13 of Rourkela led the smallest category.

Sector-wise Pollution-Control Measures

Vehicular Emissions

• BS-VI emission norms have applied nationwide since April 2020.
• The PM E-DRIVE Scheme and PM e-Bus Sewa promote cleaner mobility.
• Charging infrastructure is being expanded under Ministry of Power guidelines.
• Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facilities and Automated Testing Stations support the Vehicle Scrapping Policy.
• The Pollution Under Control certification system is being strengthened.
• The PARIVARTAN programme incentivises replacement of BS-IV and older trucks and buses in the NCR with BS-VI, CNG or electric vehicles.
• From November 1, 2026, only BS-VI, CNG or electric public transport buses will be permitted to enter Delhi.
• Electric three-wheelers are being introduced in phases across Delhi and high-volume NCR districts.

Industrial Emissions

The MoEFCC prescribes sector-specific standards, while industries without separate standards follow the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986.

CPCB has classified 419 industrial sectors and subsectors according to their pollution potential:

• 125 Red
• 137 Orange
• 94 Green
• 54 White
• 9 Blue

In Delhi-NCR, approved fuel lists and continuous monitoring requirements apply to identified industries. Revised particulate-emission norms of 50 mg/Nm³ for large and polluting units become applicable from October 1, 2026.

The Comprehensive Environmental Pollution Index identifies Critically Polluted and Severely Polluted Areas for targeted remedial action.

Road and Construction Dust

Construction and road dust contribute around 40–50% of PM10 in many cities, based on source-apportionment studies under NCAP.

Important measures include:

• Guidelines for construction and demolition waste;
• Anti-smog guns at large construction sites;
• Online compliance monitoring in Delhi-NCR;
• Mechanised road sweeping;
• Improvement of roads and junctions;
• Greening of open spaces; and
• Dust Control and Management Cells for road-owning agencies.

Seventy such cells have been established across the NCR.

Open Waste Burning

• Waste-related emissions are regulated through rules concerning solid waste, plastic waste, hazardous waste, e-waste, batteries and biomedical waste.
• Extended Producer Responsibility makes producers responsible for post-consumer plastic packaging, e-waste, batteries, tyres and used oil.
• Twelve identified single-use plastic items with low utility and high littering potential have been prohibited since July 2022.

Crop-Residue and Biomass Burning

• CPCB supports paddy-straw pelletisation and torrefaction plants. CAQM has directed 5–10% biomass co-firing in specified thermal power plants, captive power plants and brick kilns.

Other measures include:

• ₹37.16 crore sanctioned for 34 pelletisation and torrefaction plants;
• ₹4,233.84 crore provided for crop-residue management between 2018–19 and 2025–26;
• More than 3.53 lakh machines distributed to farmers; and
• Over 43,535 Custom Hiring Centres established.

Compared with 2021, paddy-stubble-burning incidents declined in 2025 by 93% in Punjab and 91% in Haryana.

Afforestation and Urban Green Cover

• Green India Mission: ₹1,019.26 crore released to States by March 2026.
• CAMPA: More than 3.20 lakh hectares taken up for compensatory afforestation between 2020–21 and 2024–25.
• Nagar Van Yojana: Targets 1,000 Nagar Vans and Vatikas by 2026–27; 626 had received support by March 2026.
• Aravalli Green Wall: Targets ecological restoration across 6.31 million hectares in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana and Delhi.
• Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam: Recorded plantation of 262.4 crore saplings by December 2025.

Institutional Framework

Central Pollution Control Board

• The CPCB is a statutory organisation established under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. It also exercises functions under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
• It advises the Union Government, establishes standards and coordinates pollution-control activities.

Commission for Air Quality Management

• The CAQM was established under the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Act, 2021.
• It coordinates air-pollution management across the NCR airshed and supervises the implementation of the Graded Response Action Plan.

Graded Response Action Plan

• GRAP is an emergency framework under which increasingly strict measures are applied as Delhi’s air quality deteriorates.
• Its four stages extend from Poor, with AQI between 201 and 300, to Severe Plus, when AQI exceeds 450. Measures include restrictions on construction, industrial operations and certain categories of vehicles.

State Pollution Control Boards

• SPCBs implement pollution-control laws, monitor industries, grant regulatory consent and manage waste-related compliance at the State level.

Uniform Consent Framework

• Uniform guidelines for granting, refusing or cancelling consent under the Air and Water Acts were notified in January 2025.
• The Unified Consent and Authorisation Management System enables end-to-end online processing of industrial consent applications. It seeks to standardise fees, siting criteria and timelines while improving transparency.

Significance

India’s clean-air policy has gradually shifted from isolated pollution-control measures towards coordinated, city-specific and measurable interventions. Expanded monitoring improves identification of pollution hotspots, while performance-linked grants create incentives for Urban Local Bodies to deliver measurable outcomes.

The emphasis on transport, industry, dust, waste, biomass burning and green cover recognises that urban air pollution has multiple sources and cannot be addressed by a single department.

Challenges

• Monitoring remains uneven outside major cities.
• Many Urban Local Bodies lack adequate technical and financial capacity.
• Air pollution crosses municipal and State boundaries, while administration remains jurisdiction-based.
• Seasonal emergency measures often receive greater attention than year-round emission reduction.
• Weak enforcement reduces industrial and construction-site compliance.
• The gap between funds released and utilised delays local action.
• PM2.5, secondary pollutants and regional transport of pollution require advanced modelling.
• Public participation remains limited despite grievance platforms.
• Plantation drives require long-term survival audits rather than only sapling counts.

Way Forward

• Adopt airshed-based management extending beyond municipal boundaries.
• Expand real-time monitoring to smaller cities and rural industrial clusters.
• Regularly update source-apportionment and emission-inventory studies.
• Link grants to independently verified reductions in pollutant concentrations.
• Strengthen the staffing and laboratory capacity of SPCBs and Urban Local Bodies.
• Integrate public transport, walking and cycling into city clean-air plans.
• Enforce construction-dust, industrial-emission and waste-management standards consistently.
• Use satellite data, forecasting and artificial intelligence for early warning and targeted enforcement.
• Ensure transparent public disclosure through PRANA, SAMEER and city dashboards.
• Measure the survival and ecological performance of urban plantations.

Conclusion

Clean air requires continuous action rather than temporary responses during severe pollution episodes. Scientific monitoring, strong local institutions and coordinated action across airsheds can convert India’s expanding policy framework into lasting improvements in public health and environmental quality.