Delhi needs ₹4,500 cr more to meet targets under National Clean Air Programme

The goals include large-scale road redevelopment, enhanced dust-control measures, and conversion of biomass crematoriums to cleaner fuels

Delhi will require over ₹4,500 crore in additional funds to meet its long-term targets under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), officials have said, even as the city struggles with underutilisation of funds and a slow pace of implementation. The goals include large-scale road redevelopment, enhanced dust-control measures, and the conversion of all biomass and wood-based crematoriums to cleaner fuels, among other interventions.

An anti-smog gun on Kartavya Path. (ANI)

So far, Delhi has only spent a third — ₹13.92 crore — of the ₹42.67 crore sanctioned to it under NCAP up to 2023-24. Another ₹36.21 crore, received in 2024-25, remains untouched. NCAP funds are released to states and for 131 non-attainment cities by the Union environment ministry. The Centre also releases funds for NCAP under the fifteenth finance commission as grants.

This poor utilisation, officials said, has held back critical projects such as mechanised road sweeping, installation of EV charging stations, and end-to-end road paving.

In a review meeting held on May 23 by the Delhi government’s environment department and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), officials projected a budget of ₹3,600 crore for road redevelopment, ₹600 crore for deploying integrated water sprinklers, mechanical road sweepers, and anti-smog guns, ₹125 crore for converting 32 wood- and biomass-fuelled crematoriums to PNG, and ₹257 crore for end-to-end paving of roads. An additional ₹55 crore is required for establishing EV charging stations at 10 bus depots.

“Some departments can use internal allocations under other schemes, but the major chunk of funding is expected from the Centre. In many cases, letters have already been sent seeking financial support,” said a senior Delhi government official involved in the review.

One key hurdle has been the functioning of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), which, due to an inactive standing committee until recently, was unable to approve or release funds. “Other agencies have been asked to proceed using whatever funds are available, but MCD’s role remains central,” the official said.

The data revealed that of the 448km of roads identified for end-to-end paving, only 108km have been completed. The remaining 340km will require an estimated ₹257 crore, but MCD and NDMC have yet to decide how to finance this gap.

Procurement of mechanised road sweeping machines has also stalled. While 56 of the 79 required machines are in place, ₹27.88 crore is still needed for the rest. Officials said this may be covered by the unutilised funds lying with various departments.

Another major lag is in the conversion of crematoria to cleaner fuels. All 32 targeted biomass and wood-based crematoriums are still operating as before, with neither conversion work nor maintenance plans underway. Around ₹86 crore is needed for the conversion, and an additional ₹39 crore for upkeep — amounts for which MCD has now sought assistance from the environment ministry in the 2025-26 cycle, the official cited above said.

NCAP was launched in January 2019 for 131 cities that consistently failed to meet national ambient air quality standards between 2011 and 2015. It initially aimed to reduce PM10 concentrations by 20-30% (from 2017 levels) by 2024. The deadline was later extended to 2026 with a target reduction of 40%. But by January 2024, Delhi had managed to cut its PM10 levels by just 12%, falling far short of the first benchmark.

Experts say that while NCAP funds serve as a “kickstarter”, the lion’s share of progress must come from aligning and pooling resources from other schemes.

“NCAP money should act as the glue between various schemes. Delhi has partially embraced this strategy, and it is helping in setting up key infrastructure. But the pace is still sluggish,” said Sunil Dahiya, founder and lead analyst at the environmental think tank Envirocatalysts.

Dahiya also emphasised the need to invest more significantly in public transport, pedestrian infrastructure, and non-motorised transport. “Without systemic and people-centric planning, clean air goals will remain on paper,” he said.