SRINAGAR: With over 12 lakh premature deaths attributed annually to air pollution in India, according to Greenpeace India’s estimates, the Union Government has responded with a slew of interventions, including substantial funding under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). Jammu and Kashmir has emerged as one of the key focus areas, particularly with Srinagar and Jammu cities showing both improvements and persistent challenges in controlling particulate matter pollution.
Under the NCAP, launched in 2019, the Government of India has allocated a total of Rs 151.97 crore to Jammu and Kashmir till FY 2025–26 to implement air quality improvement strategies. This investment is channelled into both infrastructure upgrades and systemic reforms, including pollution monitoring, emission controls in industry, scientific collaboration, and regulatory enforcement.
According to official data tabled in the Lok Sabha, PM10 concentrations in Srinagar dropped from 132 μg/m³ in 2018–19 to 76 μg/m³ in 2024–25, showing a significant 42.4% improvement, while Jammu’s PM10 levels reduced from 157 μg/m³ in 2017–18 to 124 μg/m³, marking a 21% decline. Despite these gains, both cities remain well above the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for PM10, which is 60 μg/m³, indicating continued public health risks.
To support this effort, Jammu and Kashmir operates 1 Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station (CAAQMS) and 44 manual monitoring stations across the Union Territory. The Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Committee (J&KPCC), under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, regulates industrial emissions and advises the government on air quality strategies. In a significant research-focused initiative, the Forest Department and J&KPCC have signed an MoU with the Central University of Jammu to establish a Himalayan High Altitude Atmospheric and Climate Research Station at Patnitop, aiming to bolster region-specific data on climate and pollution trends.
The efforts in J&K are part of a broader national strategy. The NCAP now covers 130 cities across 24 states and Union Territories. Among them, 103 cities have shown a reduction in PM10 levels compared to 2017–18, while 64 cities achieved over 20% reduction, and 25 cities exceeded 40% improvement. Faridabad, the designated city under NCAP in Haryana, witnessed a 35.8% decline, with PM10 levels falling from 229 μg/m³ (baseline: 2020–21) to 147 μg/m³ in 2024–25.
In addition to NCAP, the Centre has deployed complementary measures: Bharat Stage VI fuel norms, a ban on select single-use plastics, upgraded emission standards for 80+ industrial sectors, a vehicle scrapping policy, and mandatory Online Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (OCEMS) for major polluting industries.
A performance-linked grant of Rs 13,036 crore has been disbursed to all 130 NCAP cities under the XVth Finance Commission’s Million Plus City Challenge Fund and the Control of Pollution Scheme. While the overall trend indicates a gradual shift toward cleaner air in urban centres, gaps remain, especially in fast-growing cities with limited monitoring infrastructure.
For Jammu and Kashmir, the progress is tangible but fragile. The sharp seasonal variation, compounded by winter-time inversions and reliance on biomass or outdated combustion technologies, continues to undermine the gains. Experts point out that unless regulatory momentum is sustained and aligned with sustainable urban planning and cleaner transport, reversals in air quality improvement remain a real possibility.
As national and regional authorities navigate this challenge, the people of Jammu and Kashmir remain both stakeholders and victims in the battle for clean air, where every microgram of dust matters, and every year of delay costs lives.
