As part of its dedicated air pollution abatement programme for 100 polluting cities, the Centre has formulated a National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) to fight the menace through a long-term strategy. Udaipur is one of the 100 polluting cities.

The programme focuses on target oriented approach with specific time-lines to reduce various pollutants in identified cities.

Under this programme, the environment ministry targets 35% reduction of air pollution in the next three years and 50% reduction in the next five years for at least the 100 identified cities across India.

Concept note of this plan, accessed by Greenpeace India under RTI, talks about tackling pollution from various sources. It identifies power, transport, industry, residential and agriculture sectors as the key contributors making air toxic.

The note talks about setting up an effective multi-layered institutional framework to meet the air pollution abatement targets in all the 100 cities under the NCAP. Though the government has already notified a Comprehensive Action Plan (CAP) for Delhi, it will soon formally roll out the national plan for the remaining cities. Long-term strategy within the national plan will, however, also be implemented in the capital city.

A non-attainment city is considered to have air quality worse than the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. The list of 100 cities, identified on that basis, also include Guwahati, Vishakhapatnam, Bhilai, Surat, Bhopal, Indore, Amravati, Nashik, Kolhapur, Ludhiana, Allahabad, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Udaipur and Alwar among others.

(Excerpts taken from article that was originally published in The Times of India)