Maharashtra is experiencing an increase in rural air pollution despite improvements in urban air quality (AI-generated image used for representational purposes)
Rural PM2.5 concentrations in the state rose 4.1% between 2014 and 2023, while urban levels fell 5.5%, according to a new analysis that questions whether pollution control focused primarily on cities can adequately protect people across the country. The study found that urban PM2.5 concentrations were higher than rural levels in 22 states in 2023. India’s annual National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for PM2.5 is 40 micrograms per cubic metre. Rural pollution also exceeded the standard in West Bengal, Punjab, Rajasthan, Bihar, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi, despite urban-rural differences of less than 10% in these cases.
The findings suggest that air pollution does not stop at city limits, leaving rural communities exposed even where they are outside the main focus of urban clean-air programmes. However, the gap was marginal in several states: A smaller urban-rural gap does not mean pollution levels are safe. The findings raise questions about the reach of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), which focuses on reducing pollution in identified urban centres. The analysis argues that city-level interventions remain necessary but are insufficient on their own when pollution sources and the movement of pollutants extend across administrative boundaries.