Southern States told to use clean air funds, Pg1

Key Highlights:

• The National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed five southern states and Puducherry to strictly implement their State Action Plans (SAP) under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).
• The tribunal highlighted persistent particulate pollution in the southern region.
• Karnataka received ₹597.54 crore between 2019-20 and 2023-24, with Bengaluru receiving ₹541.1 crore, but initially utilized only 13% of funds by October 2024.
• Over 86% of utilized funds in Karnataka went to road dust control, while only 6.6% was spent on vehicular emissions and 4.1% on biomass burning.
• The NGT issued 13 directions, including sector-wise implementation roadmaps and monthly review meetings, with a compliance report due in six months.
  
  
  

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Detailed Insights:

• The NGT's directive emphasizes the need for improved air pollution governance in southern states, an issue predominantly associated with northern regions like Delhi-NCR.
• While Karnataka reported utilizing 76% of total funds released up to 2025-26 by September 2025, the tribunal flagged the disproportionate expenditure on road dust control over other critical pollution sources.
• The tribunal warned that continued under-utilisation or ineffective deployment of funds could lead to the imposition of environmental compensation.
• The NGT order mandates the establishment of an airshed-level coordination mechanism among southern states to address air pollution comprehensively.
• The 13 directions issued by the tribunal include the creation of sector-wise implementation roadmaps within six months and monthly review meetings chaired by the Chief Secretary of Karnataka.

Key Concepts Involved:

• National Clean Air Programme (NCAP): A national-level initiative to reduce air pollution in Indian cities.
• State Action Plan (SAP): A state-specific plan outlining strategies and actions to achieve NCAP goals.
• Particulate Pollution: Air pollution caused by the presence of particulate matter, such as dust, soot, and smoke.