Bhopal News: ₹195 Crore Spent In 6 Years, Yet City’s Air Quality Stuck At Same Levels

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) and other civic bodies had spent Rs 195 crore in the past six years to curb air pollution in the state capital but have failed to improve the city’s air quality. Now, the state government has decided to form an expert committee to scrutinize the corporation’s planning, expenditure, and actual on-the-ground work.

Under the National Clean Air Program (NCAP), launched by the Government of India in 2019, cities across the country receive funds annually to implement measures aimed at reducing pollution and improving their Air Quality Index (AQI) by 2026.

According to BMC, funds under NCAP are meant for tasks such as filling potholes, mechanized road sweeping, installing air-purifying fountains at major intersections, and water spraying in highly polluted zones. However, no such work has been undertaken with the funds received this year to control air pollution.

BMC got Rs 30 crore but lags in work plan:

This year, BMC received an additional Rs 30 crore from the central government to make the city dust-free. But during a presentation held at Vallabh Bhavan on Wednesday, officials learned that the municipal corporation had not yet prepared a plan to utilize the amount. BMC assured that a plan would be made soon, but officials expressed dissatisfaction and recommended the formation of an expert committee to closely monitor the corporation’s decisions and activities. Officials say that despite large investments and repeated directives, Bhopal has not shown measurable progress, prompting the need for stronger oversight.

Civic bodies received Rs 242.56 crore so far

Bhopal has received Rs 242.56 crore under the scheme so far, out of which Rs 195.01 crore has already been spent. However, the results appear negligible: the city’s PM-10 level was 112 in 2017–18 and remains virtually unchanged at 110 in 2025. City also lagged behind in the recently released national rankings of clean-air cities. Although the city scored 191 out of 200 points and stood sixth, it failed to secure any awards for tangible improvement. In contrast, Indore topped the list with a perfect score of 200, while Jabalpur ranked second.

“Work will begin soon. The Urban Administration Department has been asked to form an expert committee to monitor BMC. Our priority is to make Bhopal pollution-free. We will fill potholes, install fountains, and clean dust from the roads,” said BMC’s Superintendent Engineer Udit Garg.