This study proposes a complementing approach to existing scientific studies in generating hyperlocal information on the causes of pollution in a city. The methodology has been developed and refined in close consultation and coordination with DoE (Department of Environment, (GNCTD)), Delhi.

Under Section 12 (l) of the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas Act,2021, the Commission is vested with powers to take all such measures, issue directions, etc., as it deems necessary or expedient for the purpose of protecting and improving the quality of the air in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas.

The five-year analysis of the programme presents a nuanced picture of the strides and persistent challenges in improving air quality.

The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) was launched in India in 2019 and aimed to significantly enhance the air quality in India by 2024 by reducing PM concentration by 20-30 per cent, which in 2022 has been extended to 2026, aiming to have a 40% reduction in pollution levels compared to 2017.

An analysis by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has revealed a substantial rise in fine particulate matter on Diwali, with a 45 per cent increase in PM2.5 and a 33 per cent increase in PM10, compared to the previous year.

Based on the need to establish scientifically robust health-based standards, this working paper evaluates the global best practices for setting or revising air quality standards.

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest And Climate Changehas identified 123 non-attainment cities, where PM10 concentrations have exceeded the National Ambient Air Quality Standa

Air pollution in recent years has become one of the most critical environmental issues. According to the 2021 World Air Quality Report, almost every Indian city exceeded the recommended WHO air quality levels.

Since 2011, WHO has been compiling and publishing ground measurements of air quality and, specifically, the annual mean concentrations of particulate matter with a diameter ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.5) and ≤ 10 μm (PM10).

In 2019, the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) under the Government of India launched the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), which proposes strategies to reduce air pollution in several cities in India.