The picture regarding India’s air on Clean Air Day 2026 is a bit reassuring, but not completely comforting. According to government data, out of 130 cities included in the National Clean Air Program (NCAP), PM10 pollution has reduced in 108 cities as compared to 2017-18. This means that many cities have taken steps towards reducing pollution.
But the question is, does less pollution also mean cleaner air? The answer is not completely yes. In 2025-26, only 14 cities remained within the prescribed national standard of PM10. In such a situation, the figures definitely show improvement, but the goal of clean and safe air still seems far away in many cities of the country.
When is Clean Air Day celebrated?
Clean Air Day 2026 i.e. International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies is celebrated every year on 7 September. In India it is also celebrated as Swachh Vayu Diwas. Its purpose is to increase awareness about air pollution and promote the efforts being made for clean air.
Did pollution reduce in 108 cities if air improved?
According to the Environment Ministry’s data for FY 2025-26, annual PM10 concentrations in 108 out of 130 NCAP cities decreased compared to the baseline. Of these, there were 72 cities where the decline was more than 20 percent, while in 26 cities the decline was more than 40 percent. But here an important difference has to be understood. Reducing pollution and cleaning the air are not the same thing. The annual national standard for PM10 in India is 60 micrograms per cubic meter. That is, if the level of a city is below this limit then it meets the standard; If it is above this then the air is still polluted more than the prescribed limit.
Has Delhi’s air really improved?
Delhi is the biggest example of this. The capital’s annual PM10 level declined compared to 2017-18, but remained around 200 µg/m³ in 2025-26—which is several times higher than the national standard. In contrast, the PM10 level in Kohima was 47 µg/m³, which is within the national annual standard.
Why did PM10 increase in 22 cities?
While 108 cities showed improvement, the picture was reversed in 22 cities. PM10 in Visakhapatnam increased from 76 µg/m³ in 2017-18 to 119 µg/m³ in 2025-26. That means the pollution level in the city increased by more than 56 percent. This figure shows that the progress under NCAP is not uniform across the country.
Why is the picture of PM2.5 also important?
If we look at the status of PM2.5 in big cities, it was recorded at 34 in Hyderabad and 32 µg/m³ in Surat, which is below the national standard of 40 µg/m³. Mumbai stood at 33, while Pune was marginally above with 41 µg/m³. PM2.5 in Delhi was 102 µg/m³. It is also important to understand the difference between AQI and PM10/PM2.5. AQI tells the condition of the air on a particular day, whereas these figures of NCAP present the picture of pollution for the whole year.
Is the real challenge still to come?
According to the government, between 2019-20 and 2025-26, performance-based incentive grants worth ₹16,423.56 crore were issued to 130 cities for clean-air action plans. Data show that the efforts are having an impact. But the biggest message of Clean Air Day 2026 is this—pollution reduction is an achievement, not clean air. The next challenge is to sustain these improvements and bring more cities within the national standards.