Chennai sees a modest 12 per cent reduction in pollution levels, yet lags in NCAP targets
According to the data presented by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in the Lok Sabha, the average concentration of PM10 levels in Chennai dropped by 12.1% in the year 2024-25 compared to 2017-18 --far below the reductions achieved by other major cities like Mumbai (44%), Kolkata (37%), and even Delhi (15.8%).
The city's annual average PM10 concentration was reduced from 66 µg/m3 (microgram per cubic meter) in 2017-18 to 58 µg/m3 in 2024-25. While this places Chennai closer to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) of 60 µg/m3, experts say the progress is incremental and insufficient given the scale of urbanisation, traffic congestion, and construction activity.
'The figures may look acceptable on paper, but the health impact remains tangible. We continue to see rising respiratory cases in urban centres like Chennai,' a senior pulmonologist at the Government General Hospital, told TNIE.
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