India, June 17 -- Delhi will require over Rs.4,500 crore in additional funds to meet its long-term targets under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), officials have said, even as the city struggles with underutilisation of funds and a slow pace of implementation. The goals include large-scale road redevelopment, enhanced dust-control measures, and the conversion of all biomass and wood-based crematoriums to cleaner fuels, among other interventions.

So far, Delhi has only spent a third - Rs.13.92 crore - of the Rs.42.67 crore sanctioned to it under NCAP up to 2023-24. Another Rs.36.21 crore, received in 2024-25, remains untouched. NCAP funds are released to states and for 131 non-attainment cities by the Union environment ministry. Th...