National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)

The government launched National Clean Air Programme on January 10 2019 as a time-bound national level strategy to tackle increasing air pollution.

• It is a pollution control initiative that was launched by the Ministry of Environment with the intention of cutting down the concentration of coarse (particulate matter of diameter 10 micrometer or less, or PM10) and fine particles (particulate matter of diameter 2.5 micrometer or less, or PM2.5) by at least 20% in the next five years, with 2017 as the base year for comparison. The NCAP will be a mid-term, five-year action plan with 2019 as the first year.
• It is being implemented in 132 targeted cities. Out of 132, 124 cities include 34 million plus cities and urban agglomerations identified by Fifteenth Finance Commission.

Progress of NCAP: India has one of the most ambitious renewable energy programmes (450 GWs by 2030) in the world and is likely to meet its target in terms of establishing 50% non-fossil fuel based capacity for electricity generation.

• Under NCAP Rs 375.44 crores have been provided during 2019-20 to 2020-21 for taking up activities for improving the air quality in non-attainment cities and Rs 290 crore have been allocated to 82 cities for FY 2021-22. The programme has Rs 700 crore allocation for 2021-2026.
• As of 2020, 38% of installed energy capacity of India is from renewable sources (136 GW of 373 GW).
• As of November 2021, India had renewable energy capacity of 150 GW consisting solar (48.5GW), wind (40GW), small hydro power (5 GW), large hydro (46.51GW), bio-power (10 GW) and nuclear power (6.7 GW).

India has also announced a National Electric Mobility Mission Plan 2020 and is implementing since 2015 a programme for Faster Adoption and Manufacture of Electric vehicles (FAME) which aims at incentivizing/supporting manufacturing ecosystem and early adoption of electric and hybrid vehicles.