New Delhi (ABC Live): MoEFCC Annual Report 2024-25: India’s Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) released its Annual Report 2024-25, highlighting the country’s efforts in pollution control, afforestation, and climate action. This report reviews the key achievements and challenges from the MoEFCC’s initiatives, providing a clear view of India’s environmental progress.

Mission LiFE: Driving Sustainable Lifestyles Across India

The Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) campaign engaged over 4.7 crore participants, resulting in nearly 28 lakh environmental actions. The initiative exceeded its goal by planting over 108 crore saplings by January 2025. This large-scale effort shows India’s commitment to sustainability.

However, the report lacks details on sapling survival rates and the long-term ecological impact. Accurate data on these factors is crucial for measuring the campaign’s true success. The reliance on self-reported data through digital portals also raises concerns about data accuracy.

National Clean Air Programme: Improving Air Quality, Yet More Work Needed

The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) has allocated nearly ?20,000 crores to reduce air pollution in 130 cities by 2026. The report shows that 97 cities improved PM10 pollution levels in 2023-24 compared to 2017-18, with 18 cities meeting national air quality standards.

Despite this progress, only 14% of cities meet the air quality targets. Some states have underutilised funds, and many cities lack complete pollution source data. Enforcement of pollution control remains a major challenge, especially in the vehicular and industrial sectors.

Green Credit Program: A Step Toward Carbon Market Development

India’s new Green Credit Program, launched in 2023, encourages afforestation on degraded lands through market incentives. So far, the program mainly involves Public Sector Undertakings. However, the report does not provide data on green credit issuance or private sector participation, indicating early-stage implementation.

Pollution Control Regulations: Standards Are in Place, but Enforcement Is Key

India adopted the Bharat Stage VI emission standards in 2020 and has set up over 70 vehicle scrapping centres. While these policies show regulatory progress, the report lacks data on compliance rates and environmental outcomes. Effective enforcement will be crucial for these measures to reduce pollution.

Air Quality Monitoring: Expanding Network and Enforcement Efforts

The country runs over 1,500 air quality monitoring stations, supporting the National Air Quality Index. Noise pollution monitoring is also expanding. Public complaints have an 81% resolution rate, but enforcement challenges remain, especially during peak pollution periods in winter.

Agricultural Residue Burning: Reduction Observed but Still a Problem

Satellite data indicates a reduction in crop residue burning in key states from 78,000 events in 2021 to 39,000 in 2023. This progress is positive, but burning still contributes significantly to air pollution. More effective alternatives and enforcement are needed.

Forest Cover and Urban Greening: Promising Targets Await Impact Assessment

Plantation targets in the National Capital Region achieved 97% completion with over 4.4 crore saplings planted. Innovative techniques like the Miyawaki method are being used. However, the report lacks survival rate data to assess the long-term impact of these efforts.

Conclusion: Strong Efforts but Greater Transparency Needed

The MoEFCC Annual Report 2024-25 reflects India’s serious efforts toward environmental sustainability. However, better data transparency, independent verification, and enforcement are needed to measure real impact and ensure continued progress.

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