Mumbai air 30% cleaner than 2024 NCAP target

MUMBAI: The air quality in the city was around 30% better during 74 days of lockdown than its 2024 target under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).

Notified in January 2019, NCAP was proposed by the Centre to reduce particulate matter levels — PM2.5, PM10 (breathable pollutants that can easily enter the lungs and cause health ailments) — by 20-30% by 2024.

During Covid-19 lockdown, researchers calculated that Mumbai witnessed a 29.5% decline in PM2.5 and 44.3% decline in PM10 levels compared to the NCAP 2024 target. While the NCAP target for PM2.5 level was 28 μg/m3, Mumbai recorded an average of 19.7 μg/m3 during lockdown. The target for PM10 was 105.7 μg/m3, while the city recorded 58.5 μg/m3.