India’s nationwide plan to address the world’s worst urban air pollution began this month with ambitious goals, but without the budget or implementation framework needed to succeed, critics said.
India is home to 14 of the 15 most polluted cities in the world, according to the World Health Organization. Kanpur, Varanasi, and the capital Delhi rank high on the list, and are among the 102 urban centers targeted by the new plan.
The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) was launched in the wake of a study that found 1.24 million deaths in India in 2017 due to air pollution—12.5 ...