Why in News
The National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) South Zone Bench, Chennai, directed six southern states and UTs — Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Puducherry — to prepare sector-wise plans within 6 months to cut PM2.5 and PM10 levels under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). The order followed evidence of a severely skewed spending pattern: 86% of NCAP funds in southern states had been spent on road dust control while vehicular emissions received only 6.6% and biomass burning just 4.1% of funds — even though vehicles and biomass are the dominant pollution sources in urban India.
The NGT Order — What Was Directed
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tribunal | National Green Tribunal (NGT) — South Zone Bench, Chennai |
| Petitioner | Dharmesh Shah (Chennai-based researcher; Senior Technical Advisor, Lawyers Initiative for Forest and Environment — LIFE, New Delhi) |
| Original petition | Filed 2021; alleged failure by MoEFCC, CPCB, and southern states to implement NCAP State Action Plans |
| States directed | Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Puducherry |
| Direction | Submit sector-wise plans within 6 months to cut PM2.5 and PM10 levels |
| Warning | Fines/penalties if NCAP funds not “fully and effectively utilised” |
The Problem — Skewed NCAP Spending
By September 2025, 76% of total NCAP funds released to southern states had been utilised — but the breakdown revealed a critical misallocation:
| Source of Pollution | Share of NCAP Funds Spent |
|---|---|
| Road dust control | 86% |
| Vehicular emissions | 6.6% |
| Biomass burning | 4.1% |
| Other sources | ~3.3% |
The problem: Road dust is the easiest and most visible intervention — it requires sweeping machines and water tankers. But in major Indian cities, vehicular emissions and biomass burning (crop stubble, wood fuel, garbage burning) contribute far more to PM2.5 — the fine particles that penetrate the lungs and bloodstream.
Karnataka Specific Data (Confirmed)
- Karnataka received ₹597.54 crore under NCAP between 2019–20 and 2023–24.
- Of this, Bengaluru alone received ₹541.1 crore.
- Yet Bengaluru had used only 13% of its allocation by October 2024 — massive non-utilisation alongside a severe air quality crisis.
About NCAP — National Clean Air Programme
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | National Clean Air Programme |
| Launched | January 2019 |
| Ministry | Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) |
| Cities covered | 131 non-attainment cities (cities exceeding National Ambient Air Quality Standards — NAAQS — for 5+ consecutive years) across 24 states |
| Target (original) | 20–30% reduction in PM2.5/PM10 by 2024 vs 2017 baseline |
| Target (revised) | 40% reduction in PM10 or achieve national standard (60 µg/m³) by 2025–26 |
| Total funds released | ~₹9,650 crore (FY 2019–20 to 2023–24) |
| Funding mechanism | Performance-based grants to cities; also via 15th Finance Commission grants |
| Monitoring portal | PRANA (Portal for Regulation of Air-pollution in Non-Attainment cities) |
State Action Plans (SAPs)
Under NCAP, each state must prepare State Action Plans identifying state-specific pollution sources and time-bound interventions across: road dust, vehicular emissions, domestic fuel combustion, industrial emissions, MSW burning, and construction dust. The NGT found southern states had not adequately prepared or implemented their SAPs.
About the NGT
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | National Green Tribunal |
| Established | 2010 under the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010 |
| Type | Specialised quasi-judicial body for environmental disputes |
| Benches | Principal Bench: New Delhi; Zonal Benches: Bhopal (Central), Pune (Western), Kolkata (Eastern), Chennai (Southern) |
| Jurisdiction | Covers disputes arising from environmental laws (Environment Protection Act, Water Act, Air Act, Forest Act, Biodiversity Act) |
| Composition | Chairperson (retd. judge, Supreme Court or HC) + Judicial Members + Expert Members |
| Powers | Can award compensation, impose penalties, direct restoration of environment |
NGT is NOT a civil court — it is a statutory tribunal with expert members (scientists, engineers) alongside judicial members.
National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)
| Pollutant | NAAQS Annual Standard (India) | WHO Guideline |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 | 40 µg/m³ | 5 µg/m³ |
| PM10 | 60 µg/m³ | 15 µg/m³ |
| NO₂ | 40 µg/m³ | 10 µg/m³ |
| SO₂ | 50 µg/m³ | 40 µg/m³ |
India’s PM2.5 standard (40 µg/m³) is 8× higher than WHO’s guideline (5 µg/m³) — many cities still exceed even India’s own lax standard.
UPSC Relevance
| Paper | Angle |
|---|---|
| GS2 — Polity/Governance | NGT structure, jurisdiction, quasi-judicial bodies, environmental tribunals |
| GS3 — Environment | NCAP, air pollution, PM2.5/PM10, NAAQS, non-attainment cities |
| GS2 — Governance | Fund utilisation accountability, Centre-State environmental governance, PRANA portal |
Mains Keywords: NGT, NCAP, National Clean Air Programme, non-attainment cities, PM2.5, PM10, State Action Plans, PRANA portal, road dust vs vehicular emissions, Bengaluru air quality, NAAQS, environmental governance
Prelims Facts Corner
| Item | Fact |
|---|---|
| NGT established | 2010; National Green Tribunal Act, 2010 |
| NGT South Zone Bench | Chennai |
| States directed | Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, AP, Telangana, Puducherry |
| NCAP launched | January 2019; MoEFCC |
| NCAP cities | 131 non-attainment cities (exceeding NAAQS for 5+ consecutive years) |
| NCAP revised target | 40% PM10 reduction or 60 µg/m³ standard by 2025–26 |
| PRANA portal | For monitoring NCAP implementation in non-attainment cities |
| NCAP fund misuse | 86% on road dust; only 6.6% on vehicular emissions; 4.1% on biomass |
| Bengaluru allocation | ₹541.1 crore under NCAP; used only 13% by October 2024 |
| PM2.5 India standard | 40 µg/m³ (annual); WHO guideline: 5 µg/m³ |
| PM10 India standard | 60 µg/m³ (annual); WHO guideline: 15 µg/m³ |
