₹16,423.56 crore released under NCAP from 2019-20 to 2025-26

The question asked the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to detail measures taken for pollution control, river rejuvenation, and environmental governance, including specific progress on air quality, wetlands, and the status of polluted rivers in Uttar Pradesh.

Asked and answered by: Asked by Shri Jagdambika Pal and Shri Pratap Chandra Sarangi; Answered by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (Minister Shri Bhupender Yadav).

What the government said

• ₹16,423.56 crore released under National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) from FY 2019-20 to 2025-26.
• 108 out of 130 NCAP cities recorded reductions in annual PM10 concentrations in 2025-26 compared to 2017-18.
• 14 cities met National Ambient Air Quality Standards in FY 2025-26, up from 6 cities in 2017-18.
• ₹43,326 crore sanctioned for 527 projects under the Namami Gange Programme.
• ₹8,975 crore sanctioned for 58 rivers in 100 towns under the National River Conservation Plan (NRCP).
• ₹70.87 crore released for wetland conservation under the National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems (NPCA) since 2023-24.
• ₹699.33 crore sanctioned for 652 projects under Nagar Van Yojana.
• ₹88.44 crore released for the restoration of 9,536 hectares of degraded mangrove areas under the MISHTI programme.
• 232.65 lakh Metric Tons of plastic packaging waste recycled since the implementation of EPR regulations in Feb 2022.
• Average time for Central-level Environmental Clearance reduced from ~600 days in 2014 to ~57 days in FY 2025-26 via the PARIVESH portal.
• Polluted River Stretches (PRS) in the country reduced from 351 in 2018 to 296 in 2025.
• 14 polluted river stretches identified on 13 rivers other than Ganga in Uttar Pradesh in 2025.

Also in the document

• The answer states that the Department of Mines and Geology of the State Government is the nodal authority for regulating and enforcing mining activities, including preventing illegal mining.
• The answer notes that matters relating to pollution control are dealt with by the concerned State Pollution Control Board.
• The specific river 'Sukhnai' mentioned in the question is not listed in the provided Annexure-I of polluted river stretches in Uttar Pradesh, which lists 14 other stretches.