₹541 crore for clean air. So why is Bengaluru still choking?

by May 22, 2026 Governance
In this video, we discuss how clean air funds have been utilised and what the city must do to improve air quality.

Last year around the same time, Citizen Matters published a two part series on how the National Clean Air Program (NCAP) funds were underutilised in Bengaluru. Following this, budget allocation sped up and last September, the state government allocated over ₹145 crore to various agencies. However the air quality in the city hasn’t improved, while more than ₹100 crores of the clean air funds remain unused.

A total of ₹541 crore has been released so far, with ₹147.7 crore recently allocated among BESCOM, BMTC, BSWML, the Horticulture Department, and the Climate Action Cell. The planned projects for these clean air funds include developing footpaths, expanding green spaces, improving EV charging infrastructure, and closing landfills. However, due to delays in utilising the amount, no new funds have been released for the past three years, and the city hasn’t had much progress in improving air quality.

What is the solution?

In the video story below, we explore how BCAP funds have been put to use and what needs to be done to improve the city’s AQI. The action items include:

  • Transition of the entire waste collection fleet to electric vehicles.
  • Creation of low-emission zones in key areas in the city by restricting highly polluting vehicles
  • Hyperlocal air quality monitoring across the city.

Also, Anand Iyer, chief policy and insights officer at Janaagraha talks about what needs to be done to initiate real change on the ground. Watch the video to know more.

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About Gangadharan B

Gangadharan (he/him) is an independent journalist, deeply passionate about writing and multimedia storytelling. He holds a postgraduate degree in Mass Communication and his work focuses on gender, human rights, climate and civic issues. He is particularly interested in uncovering and sharing the lives and experiences of marginalised communities.
Read more by Gangadharan B

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