Change in annual PM2.5 levels in India 2019-2023, by state
Average annual PM2.5 levels in Delhi were 5.9 percent below 2019 levels in 2023. Nevertheless, Delhi was the most polluted state in India that year. Uttar Pradesh observed the largest PM2.5 reductions between 2019 and 2023 among India's most polluted states, at roughly 51 percent. The government of India introduced the National Clean Air Program (NCAP) in January 2019 with the initial target of reducing PM2.5 and PM10 levels by 20 to 30 percent by 2024, relative to 2017 baseline levels.