Hyderabad’s pollution levels dip 26.4% since 2017

Hyderabad: Hyderabad has witnessed a 26.4% dip in air pollution levels in the seven years under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). The PM10 levels of the city have dropped from 110 micrograms per cubic metre in 2017–18 to 81 µg/m³ in 2024–25. But the air quality hasn’t seen any major improvement since 2024.

Hyderabad has done well as far as pollution control is concerned; it is now ahead of cities like Delhi and Chennai, but Mumbai and Kolkata are better still placed in pollution control.

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The NCAP was unveiled in 2019 with a focus on the city’s poor air quality. Hyderabad was declared a “non-attainment city,” prompting a special action plan by agencies like the Central and Telangana Pollution Control Boards, GHMC, and others.

To improve the air quality, the city received Rs 880 crore between 2020 and 2026 from NCAP and the Fifteenth Finance Commission, and Rs 715.9 crore had been released by July 2025, out of which Rs 384.33 crore was spent.

Numerous key steps have been taken to overcome the poor air quality of the city, such as adapting to BS-VI fuel, promoting electric vehicles (EVs), removing old vehicles, and making charging infrastructure better. Authorities keep eyes on industries and construction sites by making pollution control rules stricter.

To make EVs more popular, the state government has removed the 100 percent road tax and registration fee till December 2026.

Hyderabad’s pollution levels dip 26.4% since 2017–18