Environmentalists have raised concerns over the Centre’s decision to reduce the budget allocation for pollution control at a time when air quality in many cities remains poor to very poor. They said the funding is inadequate to address the growing public health crisis caused by pollution.

Experts said the Union Budget’s allocation for pollution control falls short at a time when several cities, especially in the Indo-Gangetic Plain, are struggling with ‘poor’ to ‘very poor’ air quality.

The decision triggered sharp criticism from environmental experts. They said the absence of a targeted approach for regions facing the worst pollution was a major gap.

Environmentalists see the Budget as a missed opportunity to tackle the health emergency.

The 2026-27 Budget estimate has made drastic cuts to the funding of pollution control boards, CAQM, and NCAP.

Budget 2026 cuts pollution control allocation: The timing of the cut is troubling. Delhi-NCR and neighbouring regions continue to record hazardous air quality levels, leading to school closures, health advisories, and increased respiratory illnesses.