UP, Haryana Secure USD 600 Million World Bank Funding for Major Air Pollution Relief Push

Uttar Pradesh and Haryana have secured nearly USD 600 million in fresh funding from the World Bank to strengthen large-scale air pollution control programmes aimed at improving air quality for nearly 270 million people across north India.

The funding comes at a time when air pollution is no longer a seasonal concern in the Indo-Gangetic Plains, with hazardous air persisting for months and causing widespread health damage, economic losses and a declining quality of life in both urban and rural areas.

According to the World Bank, the two state-led initiatives represent India’s first airshed-based, multi-sectoral clean air programmes designed to address pollution that crosses city and state boundaries.

“Air pollution is causing severe health impacts, loss of productivity and reduced quality of life across South Asia,” said Paul Procee, Acting Country Director for World Bank India. He added that the programmes in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana would demonstrate how air-quality action can boost productivity and create green jobs, particularly for youth and women.

Uttar Pradesh Clean Air Management Program (UPCAMP)

Uttar Pradesh will receive USD 299.66 million under the Uttar Pradesh Clean Air Management Program (UPCAMP), which builds on the state’s existing Clean Air Plan. The programme targets pollution from transport, agriculture and industry, while supporting clean energy adoption and greener employment.

By adopting an airshed approach instead of city-centric interventions, the programme aims to reduce pollution more efficiently by coordinating with neighbouring states to control transboundary emissions.

Key initiatives include incentives for farmers to improve fertiliser efficiency and manage livestock waste, support for MSMEs to shift to cleaner technologies, and promotion of electric mobility in urban centres.

The programme will enable 3.9 million households to access clean cooking solutions, deploy 15,000 electric three-wheelers and 500 electric buses in cities such as Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi and Gorakhpur, and replace 13,500 highly polluting heavy-duty vehicles.

Haryana’s Clean Air Roadmap

Haryana has secured USD 300 million through the Clean Air Project for Sustainable Development Operation. The programme focuses on reducing emissions across transport, agriculture, industry and urban development, while strengthening air-quality monitoring systems.

Electric buses and e-three-wheelers will be expanded in key urban centres including Gurugram, Sonipat and Faridabad. Haryana has also set up a special purpose vehicle, ARJUN, to improve coordination, implementation and monitoring of clean air initiatives across departments.

The state continues to face major challenges from stubble burning and industrial emissions, both of which significantly contribute to regional pollution. The project also aims to mobilise over USD 127 million in private capital to support long-term emission reduction.

Both initiatives fall under the World Bank’s Regional Air Quality Management Program for the Indo-Gangetic Plains and Himalayan Foothills, one of the most polluted regions globally. Uttar Pradesh’s programme is planned over a 10-year period, while Haryana’s project spans more than 23 years, reflecting the scale and persistence of India’s air pollution challenge.