Gujarat spends ₹400 crore to curb air pollution, but AQI worsens in major cities

Air pollution levels in major cities of Gujarat, including Ahmedabad, continue to rise despite the government spending about ₹403 crore over the past two years on measures aimed at controlling pollution, officials said.

Government data indicates that a number of urban and industrial hubs, including Surat, Vadodara, and Rajkot, have seen declining air quality, which has alarmed locals and environmental experts.

In particular, Ahmedabad's Air Quality Index (AQI) is getting worse over time. Experts say that without effective action, the air quality could become as bad as in Delhi.

To address the issue, the Government of India allocated ₹277 crore to Gujarat for the financial year 2024–25 and ₹197 crore for 2025–26 for pollution-control initiatives. Of the total funds received, most have already been utilised, with about ₹71 crore remaining.

Officials said that around 42 projects are currently under implementation using these funds. However, critics argue that despite the large expenditure, pollution levels in major cities and industrial areas have shown little improvement and, in some cases, have worsened.

To monitor environmental conditions, the Gujarat Urban Development Mission has launched a system known as “Lake and Air Watch”. The platform aims to track air quality and lake conditions across the state.

Under the system, if the air quality index exceeds permissible limits in 17 municipal corporations and 152 municipalities, alert messages will be automatically sent to the concerned departments so that immediate action can be taken.

The system will also provide early warnings about issues affecting water bodies, such as silting and algae growth in lakes. Officials said the technology-driven monitoring system has been developed at a cost of around ₹10 crore.