Chandigarh, India – In a major move to tackle the problem of air pollution, the Government of Haryana has signed a comprehensive agreement with the World Bank to launch the Haryana Clean Air Project for Sustainable Development (HCAPSD). This ambitious project, which is set to cost around ₹3,646 crores (or USD 305 million), is one of the most massive initiatives that the state has undertaken to clean the environment, with the intention of ensuring a clean air environment within the next five years.

The Executive Board of the World Bank has approved a financial assistance of USD 305 million (and approx. ₹2,498 crores) for the project, which is a sign of support for Haryana’s strategic approach in dealing with air pollution. Additionally, the plan includes a co-financing component from the state government of approximately ₹1,065 crores, as well as another component by way of a grant of approx. ₹83 crores.

Strategic Framework & Institutional Structure

The HCAPSD is devised for undertaking a cohesive approach with respect to the significant sectors that impact air pollution. It focuses on the need for cohesive planning, a sound monitoring system, and sector-specific addresses in transportation, industry, agriculture, urban administration, and scientific research. The implementation process has been managed by a Special Purpose Vehicle called AI for Resilient Jobs, Urban Air Quality & Next Gen Skills Council (ARJUN), which manages inter-departmental coordination. ARJUN is headed by Khullar Rajesh, who is the Chief Principal Secretary to the Haryana Chief Minister.

The design of the project is consistent with national and state-level priorities on clean air, environment, and sustainable development, thereby also meeting other environment-related goals such as health, climate change, and sustainable urbanization.

Transport Sector Interventions

Among the core areas of HCAPSD is the transformation of the transportation sector, a significant source of ambient air pollution in urban and peri-urban areas. The project segregates a fund of around ₹1,688 crore for interventions in the transport sector, which has a number of significant components:

Purchase and induction of 500 electric buses in the major urban areas such as Gurugram, Faridabad, Sonipat, and Jhajjar, with an estimated investment of ₹1,513 crores.

Development of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, involving the establishment of 200 electric vehicle charging stations, assisted by the allocation of ₹20 crore.

Incentives introduced for electric three-wheelers (₹100 crores), and fleet replacement incentives encouraging the use of zero-emission alternatives in place of old three-wheelers, as well as passenger carriers (₹45 crores).

The aim of these interventions is to minimize dependence on high-polluting conventional modes, cut carbon emissions, and hence facilitate the state’s shift to cleaner and more sustainable transport solutions.

Industrial & Urban Air Quality Measures

The other vital component of the HCAPSD initiative is the Industrial Emissions Control segment. The Department of Industries and Commerce has been allocated ₹563 crore in order to induce healthier industrial practices, which would result in better adherence to environment standards. The initiatives include:

• Incentives for changing from high emission fuels to Piped Natural Gas (PNG) in industrial boilers.
• Funding assistance for replacing high-emission diesel generator sets with low-emission ones.
• Providing support for the installation of Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (CEMS) in major industrial units to facilitate the constant measurement of pollution levels.

At the same time, the project is involved in the development of modern ambient air quality monitoring infrastructure, which includes the establishment of several Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring (CAAQM) stations, as well as mobile air quality monitoring stations that are capable of carrying out real-time analysis. This is expected to enhance the state’s ability to monitor the trends of air pollutants.

Agriculture Sector Focus

In recognising the major role played by agricultural practices in influencing air quality challenges, especially during harvest seasons, the HCAPSD decides to allocate around ₹746crore for agricultural interventions. The interventions include:

• Encouraging environmentally sound residue handling practices among farmers.
• Improvement of soil health conditions, as well as limiting the instances of stubble burning.
• Supporting Panchayat-level interventions to address air quality.

In state-level consultations, government representatives called attention to recent statistics that showed a marked reduction in the number of active fire spots linked with residue burning, which showed initial success in enforcement and outreach work with farmers.

Compliance & Enforcement

The environment compensation fines, as part of HCAPSD’s enforcement plan, have been imposed on proven instances of agricultural burning, together with the official submission of First Information Reports (FIRs), as a way of enforcing the ban. Incentive programs have been introduced to promote different crop management practices, such as in-situ residue management, with government-financed compensation to support farmland on a scale of hundreds of thousands of acres.

Regional & National Integration

It is worth noting that the initiative is part of supporting other national clean air plans, besides ensuring cooperation with other states concerning the management of air quality within the Indo-Gangetic Plan, which has a transboundary air pollution phenomenon. The sectors-targeting nature of the initiative supports the improvement of national initiatives concerning improved air environment governance.

Expected Outcomes & Monitoring The implementation approach focuses on rigorous monitoring, real-time data generation, and dynamic management practices that ensure interventions result in measurable enhancements. The aim of enhancing scientific and institutional capacities is to develop a long-lasting foundation for air quality management. The HCAPSD’s comprehensive strategy, which integrates electrification, emissions controls, agricultural sector reforms, and improved environment monitoring, is a marked policy reaction to what is arguably Haryana’s most significant environmental problem.