India’s latest Union Budget has delivered a cautious message on air quality spending at a time when the Delhi-NCR region continues to grapple with a prolonged public health and urban governance challenge. The 2026–27 budget reduces allocations for national pollution control programmes even as the capital enters yet another year without a single day of clean air, highlighting the widening gap between fiscal planning and environmental reality.
For the upcoming financial year, the Centre has earmarked just over ₹1,090 crore for its flagship pollution control framework, down from the previous year’s revised outlay. The funding supports pollution control boards across states and the National Clean Air Programme, which tracks and mitigates air quality failures in more than 80 non-attainment cities. Urban policy specialists warn that the reduced envelope risks slowing implementation precisely when sustained investment is required. Delhi’s air quality data underlines the scale of the challenge. While the number of extreme pollution episodes has fallen compared to earlier years, the overall baseline remains poor. The capital has not recorded a single ‘good’ air day for two consecutive years, and the share of moderately clean days has also declined. Environmental planners point out that incremental improvements mask deeper structural issues tied to transport dependence, construction intensity and regional emissions.
Despite being a focal point of the clean air programme, Delhi has received relatively modest cumulative funding over multiple years. Of the allocations released so far, utilisation has remained uneven, reflecting coordination gaps between agencies and delays in translating plans into on-ground action. Analysts argue that air quality management in large urban regions demands predictable, multi-year financing rather than fluctuating annual grants. Scientific source apportionment studies continue to show that vehicular emissions, road dust, construction activity, industrial processes and seasonal biomass burning all play significant roles in Delhi-NCR’s pollution profile. Winter months remain particularly severe due to atmospheric conditions that trap pollutants, while summer sees a spike in dust-related particulates. These patterns reinforce the need for sector-specific interventions backed by sustained funding.
Authorities have expanded enforcement and emergency responses in recent years, including tighter vehicle emission checks, restrictions under the graded response framework, and accelerated adoption of cleaner public transport. Thousands of older industrial units have been shut or converted to cleaner fuels, and penalties for non-compliance have increased sharply. However, urban economists caution that enforcement-heavy approaches cannot substitute for long-term investments in public transport, urban design and waste systems.
The budget has marginally increased allocations for select ecological schemes such as afforestation, but experts note that these gains do not offset the broader contraction in pollution control spending. With climate risks intensifying and urban populations continuing to rise, the effectiveness of India’s clean air strategy will hinge on aligning fiscal priorities with the lived realities of its cities.
For Delhi-NCR, the coming years will test whether policy coordination, regional cooperation and smarter urban investment can compensate for tighter budgets or whether chronic air pollution will remain an accepted cost of metropolitan growth.
Delhi NCR air crisis meets tighter pollution budgets
