In what officials describe as Haryana’s most ambitious environmental initiative so far, the state government has partnered with the World Bank to launch the Haryana Clean Air Project for Sustainable Development, a ₹3,600-crore programme aimed at significantly improving air quality over the next five years. The project targets multiple sources of pollution across the National Capital Region (NCR), including industries, transport, agriculture and road dust.

The large-scale initiative forms part of a broader $600 million World Bank-supported programme covering Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Its central objective is to reduce hazardous air pollution across the NCR airshed through coordinated action and long-term structural reforms. The Haryana government presented the detailed plan during a high-level review meeting on Air Pollution Control in Delhi-NCR held on December 4. The meeting was chaired by Tanmay Kumar, Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, where the state outlined both short-term and long-term measures to curb pollution levels.

A major focus of the project is the industrial sector. Around 1,000 industries across Haryana will be incentivised to replace coal and furnace oil-based boilers with cleaner alternatives such as piped natural gas (PNG), compressed natural gas (CNG), or other gaseous fuels. In addition, nearly 1,000 diesel generator sets will be converted to hybrid or dual-fuel systems or fitted with retrofit emission control devices to reduce harmful emissions.

To further address industrial pollution, the government plans to establish two common boilers in industrial clusters and set up two tunnel kilns on a pilot basis to curb emissions from brick kilns, which are a major source of particulate matter in the region.

The transport sector is another key pillar of the project. The state plans to procure 500 electric buses as part of its public transport fleet to reduce vehicular emissions. Diesel auto-rickshaws will be phased out gradually, while incentives will be offered to support the adoption of nearly 50,000 electric auto-rickshaws. These steps aim to reduce pollution from traffic, one of the largest contributors to poor air quality in urban areas.

Road dust, a significant but often overlooked source of pollution, will also be tackled through infrastructure improvements. A 500-kilometre network of dust-free roads is proposed under the project. Alongside this, Haryana will establish a centralised monitoring infrastructure and a command-and-control centre to track pollution sources and ensure better enforcement of environmental regulations.

Air quality monitoring will be strengthened with the installation of 10 Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring (CAAQM) stations and one mobile CAAQM van. These systems will have real-time source apportionment capabilities, enabling authorities to identify pollution sources quickly and take targeted action.

Agricultural pollution, particularly stubble burning, remains one of the most critical challenges for Haryana and the wider NCR. The state government highlighted significant progress in this area. From September to November 2025, only 662 active fire locations were recorded, marking a 52.9 per cent reduction compared to 1,406 cases during the same period last year.

To enforce compliance, authorities imposed environmental compensation in 238 verified cases, registered FIRs, and made mandatory red entries in land records. At the same time, enforcement was paired with financial incentives to encourage farmers to adopt sustainable practices.

Farmers received ₹1,200 per acre for in-situ crop residue management, ₹8,000 per acre for crop diversification, and ₹4,500 per acre for adopting direct seeding of rice. The state said more than 5.6 lakh farmers registered for residue management support across 39.3 lakh acres. The total projected incentive payout stands at ₹471 crore. To monitor activities at the grassroots level, over 10,000 nodal officers were directly mapped to farmer groups, creating what officials described as a village-level monitoring system of unprecedented scale.

Officials say the project is expected to deliver wide-ranging benefits. Improved air quality could reduce respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses, lower healthcare costs, and improve overall quality of life. Economically, the initiative is expected to boost productivity, attract investment, and generate green jobs in clean energy, transport, and environmental monitoring sectors.

By combining strict enforcement with incentives, technological upgrades, and large-scale monitoring, the Haryana Clean Air Project represents a comprehensive attempt to address air pollution at its roots. If successful, the programme could serve as a model for other states struggling with severe air quality challenges, particularly those within the NCR region.