Maharashtra will conduct a city-wise review of clean-air funds and reallocate unspent amounts across urban areas, as the state government moves to link spending more closely with measurable reductions in pollution. Environment and Climate Change Minister Pankaja Munde announced the review at a meeting on fund utilisation on Tuesday.
The review will cover money received under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) and the 15th Finance Commission. Around 25 cities and five cantonment boards in Maharashtra are included in the clean-air programme, while plans for 19 cities have been approved.
The cities were selected after recording violations of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for five consecutive years. State authorities have sought explanations from city administrations over funds that remain unspent, according to the report.
Around Rs 2,926 crore has been disbursed so far under the funds under review, of which 60% has been expended. The figures indicate that a substantial portion of the allocation is yet to be used, even as cities covered by the programme continue to be assessed against air-quality targets.
At the review meeting, Munde was informed that 15 of the 19 cities with approved plans had reduced their PM-10 levels. The report did not provide city-wise figures for the reductions or specify the period over which the improvements were measured.
Munde said the use of funds should not be assessed only through purchases made by city administrations. Instead, spending should be checked against its actual effect on pollution levels. The approach places the focus on whether municipal interventions are producing cleaner air, rather than simply whether allocated money has been spent.
The proposed reallocation could change how clean-air funds are distributed between cities. Administrations with unspent balances may be asked to explain delays, while amounts that remain unused could be redirected to other cities covered by the programme. The state’s review is therefore expected to examine both financial utilisation and the pollution outcomes associated with approved plans.
The programme’s implementation will depend on city administrations and cantonment boards translating approved plans into measures that can be assessed through air-quality data. The state government has not announced the timeline for completing the review or identified the cities that may receive reallocated funds.
The next steps are the submission of explanations by city administrations and the completion of the city-wise assessment of expenditure and pollution reduction. Further decisions on reallocating unspent funds are expected after that review.
