July 23, 2025

One hundred and three out of 130 cities covered under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in India showed an improvement in PM10 levels in 2024-25 compared to 2017-18. Mumbai registered the highest decline of 44% in PM10 levels among the six big metro cities, followed by Kolkata with 37%. According to data shared by the environment ministry, Hyderabad and Bengaluru recorded a drop of 26% each, Delhi 15%, and Chennai 12% in PM10 levels. Chennai was the only big metro to meet the acceptable limit by recording an annual average concentration of 58 g/m3. Despite some cities showing improvement, PM10 levels in Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru still exceed the acceptable limit. Exposure to PM10 can lead to various health conditions such as asthma, cancer, stroke, and lung disease. Sixty-four cities reported a reduction in PM10 levels by more than 20% in 2024-25 compared to the base year 2017-18, with 25 cities achieving a reduction of more than 40%. Cities like Bareilly, Varanasi, Firozabad, Dehradun, Moradabad, and Kanpur showed significant improvement in PM10 levels. Besides Chennai, cities like Bareilly, Nellore, Silchar, Sivasagar, Rajamuhndry, Kadapa, Tuticorin, and Trichy also reported acceptable PM10 levels in 2024-25. To know more, read the full article.

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Tags: Clean air, Pm10 levels, Air pollution, Health, India,