Air quality management in Madhya Pradesh has moved forward with the completion of source apportionment studies for Bhopal and Gwalior, while draft reports for Indore and Jabalpur await peer review. Studies for Sagar, Dewas and Ujjain are still under way. The exercise is part of compliance with a National Green Tribunal direction and relates to persistent air pollution in the state’s non-attainment cities under the National Clean Air Programme.
Source Apportionment Studies
The completed studies for Bhopal and Gwalior have identified particulate matter, especially PM₁₀ and PM₂.₅, as the major pollutants.
- Draft reports for Indore and Jabalpur have been prepared.
- Peer review of these reports is pending.
- Studies in Sagar, Dewas and Ujjain are ongoing.
NCAP Monitoring and Committees
District-level and state-level committees under NCAP have been constituted and are meeting regularly to review compliance. A senior-level meeting involving officials from the CPCB, Urban Administration and Development Department, and Transport Department discussed ways to strengthen air quality action. The focus was on airshed identification, pollution source assessment and preparation of a graded response action plan.
Targets and Control Measures
The revised NCAP target for 2025–26 aims for up to a 40 per cent reduction in PM₁₀ levels from the 2019–20 base year, or achievement of the annual NAAQS limit of 60 micrograms per cubic metre. The review also examined 2024–25 air quality trends and source apportionment findings.
Key Steps Proposed
The committee recommended urgent action to reduce road dust and vehicular emissions.
- Suction-based road cleaning.
- Paving of footpaths and road corners.
- Roadside plantation.
- Expansion and optimisation of monitoring stations in Bhopal.
- Site visits to 21 pollution hotspots.
- Introduction of a moderate stage in the Graded Response Action Plan for earlier intervention.