On 10 December, the World Bank Board of Executive Directors authorised funding for two vital initiatives in the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana that would help 270 million people breathe cleaner air, with the benefits of clean air extending to neighbouring states. These initiatives will also work to make both states even more alluring as places to do business and places to create jobs.

According to Paul Procee, Acting Country Director, World Bank India, “air pollution is causing severe health impacts, loss of productivity, and reduced quality of life across South Asia.”” The first multi-sectoral, airshed-based initiatives implemented by Indian state governments to address the intricate problem of lowering air pollution are these operations in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Additionally, the workshops will show how efforts to improve air quality may boost productivity and generate green jobs, particularly for women and young people.

In order to improve the quality of the air for its citizens, the Uttar Pradesh (UP) Clean Air Management Program (UPCAMP) ($299.66 million) will expand on the UP government’s Clean Air Plan by making investments in important industries, transportation, and agriculture. 3.9 million families will have access to clean cooking thanks to the programme. Additionally, 15,000 electric three-wheelers and 500 electric buses will be introduced in the cities of Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi, and Gorakhpur to encourage people to adopt clean transportation. The project will help the Uttar Pradesh government’s efforts to offer incentives for the replacement of 13,500 heavy-duty vehicles that produce pollutants with ones that release less.

The task team heads of UPCAMP, Ana Luisa Lima and Farah Zahir, stated, “Uttar Pradesh aims to reduce air pollution faster and at a lower cost by collaborating with other states to control transboundary emissions by adopting an airshed approach – rather than city-level solutions.” The programme will provide incentives to farmers that implement effective practices to control animal waste and increase the efficiency of fertiliser use. Additionally, it will support e-mobility in cities and assist MSMEs in making the switch to greener technologies.

The Government of Haryana’s Action Plan, which aims to reduce air pollution through a combination of multisectoral interventions, will be supported by the $300 million Haryana Clean Air Project for Sustainable Development Operation. The project will make investments in emission and air quality monitoring systems to improve the state’s capacity to assess the effects of different pollution sources. In the cities of Gurugram, Sonipat, and Faridabad, the project would also encourage investments in sustainable transportation, such as electric three-wheelers and bus services. Consequently, these will provide smooth connectivity and increased employment opportunities, particularly for women. Additionally, the initiative will help the state’s efforts to encourage MSMEs to embrace cleaner technologies, promote agricultural waste management machinery and technologies, and effectively reuse paddy stubble.

“Haryana has established ARJUN, a special purpose vehicle, to facilitate coordination, implementation, and monitoring among relevant agencies, acknowledging clean air as a top priority,” stated Sharlene Chichgar, Laghu Parashar, and Saumya Srivastava, project task team leaders. In addition to focusing on emissions in important areas including transportation, agriculture, industry, and urban growth, this programme will seek to raise more than $127 million in private funding.

A global hotspot for air pollution, the two initiatives are a component of the World Bank’s Regional Air Quality Management Program in the Indo-Gangetic Plains and Himalayan Foothills (IGP-HF). Additionally, the initiatives will receive financing from the multi-donor Energy Sector Management Assessment Program and the World Bank’s Resilient Asia Program, which is supported by the Swiss Government’s Agency for Development and Cooperation and the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

The Haryana programme has an ultimate maturity of 23.5 years with a 6-year grace period, whereas the Uttar Pradesh scheme has a final maturity of 10 years with a 2-year grace period.