Rs 1,500,000,000 State Clean Air Programme: 12 Odisha cities covered under 1st phase

The Odisha government has announced plans to spend Rs 150 crore under its newly launched State Clean Air Programme (SCAP) to reduce air pollution levels in urban areas by at least 40 per cent over the next five years.

The decision was reviewed during the 10th meeting of the State-Level Air Quality Monitoring Committee (AQMC) on Saturday, reported The New Indian Express. Notably, the SCAP was launched by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on June 5 to cover cities not included under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).

12 Cities in First Phase

According to reports, the first phase of SCAP will cover Sambalpur, Berhampur, Puri, Paradip, Keonjhar, Joda, Barbil, Bonai, Rajgangpur, Jharsuguda, Brajarajnagar and Belpahar.

The program will focus on reducing levels of particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) through city-level action plans, road dust control, solid waste management, and regulation of industrial and vehicular emissions.

The Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department will implement the scheme using monitoring data from the last five years. Officials said the proposal for funding has been submitted to the Finance Department, and approval is awaited.

Progress Under NCAP

It is worth noting that Odisha is already implementing the NCAP in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Rourkela, Angul, Talcher, Kalinga Nagar and Balasore. In accordance with it, data presented at the meeting showed improvements in some cities but deterioration in others.

Between 2019-20 and 2024-25, Cuttack recorded a 29 per cent reduction in PM10 concentration, followed by Angul (28 per cent) and Balasore (26 per cent). In contrast, Kalinga Nagar saw a 13 per cent increase, Talcher a 12 per cent increase, and Rourkela a 2.7 per cent increase.

Officials at the AQMC meeting stressed the need to improve air quality in low-performing cities through interventions including mechanical road sweepers, improved waste management and measures to reduce industrial emissions.