New Delhi, July 20: At a time when the Andhra Pradesh Government is aggressively projecting Visakhapatnam as the State’s growth engine and future economic capital, the city has recorded the worst deterioration in air quality among all 130 cities covered under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), according to data placed before the Lok Sabha by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The official figures show that Visakhapatnam’s average PM10 concentration increased from 76 µg/m³ in 2017-18 to 119 µg/m³ in 2025-26, representing a 56.6% deterioration, the steepest decline among all cities covered under the programme.
The findings assume significance as the State Government has been positioning Visakhapatnam as Andhra Pradesh’s premier destination for investments in information technology, data centres, manufacturing, logistics, tourism and the blue economy. The city has also been promoted as a major hub for future economic growth. Against this backdrop, the deterioration in air quality raises concerns over the environmental sustainability of rapid urban and industrial expansion.
The data was furnished on Monday in reply to a starred question by MP Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer. The Ministry stated that PM10 levels for 2025-26 were compared with the 2017-18 baseline to assess the performance of cities under the NCAP.
Vijayawada Leads Andhra Pradesh
While Visakhapatnam recorded the poorest performance, Vijayawada emerged as Andhra Pradesh’s best-performing city, reducing PM10 levels by 27.5%, from 91 µg/m³ in 2017-18 to 66 µg/m³ in 2025-26. Other cities registering notable improvements include Nellore (21.9%), Rajahmundry (21.2%), Anantapur (17.9%) and Kurnool (17.7%).
However, four Andhra Pradesh cities recorded worsening air quality. Besides Visakhapatnam, PM10 levels increased in Srikakulam (-8.7%), Vizianagaram (-5.6%) and Guntur (-3.0%).
PM10 levels in Andhra Pradesh Cities Under NCAP
| City | 2017-18 | 2025-26 | Change |
| Vijayawada | 91 | 66 | +27.5% improvement |
| Nellore | 64 | 50 | +21.9% |
| Rajahmundry | 85 | 67 | +21.2% |
| Anantapur | 78 | 64 | +17.9% |
| Kurnool | 79 | 65 | +17.7% |
| Eluru | 72 | 62 | +13.9% |
| Kadapa | 75 | 65 | +13.3% |
| Ongole | 65 | 61 | +6.2% |
| Chittoor | 70 | 67 | +4.3% |
| Guntur | 66 | 68 | -3.0% |
| Vizianagaram | 72 | 76 | -5.6% |
| Srikakulam | 69 | 75 | -8.7% |
| Visakhapatnam | 76 | 119 | -56.6% |
National Trend Better Than Visakhapatnam
Nationally, the Ministry informed Parliament that 108 of the 130 cities recorded lower PM10 concentrations than the baseline year. Forty-six cities achieved reductions of more than 20%, while 26 cities recorded improvements exceeding 40%. A total of 14 cities now meets the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) with PM10 levels below 60 µg/m³. Against this overall national improvement, Visakhapatnam stood out as the worst-performing city in the country under the NCAP dataset placed before Parliament.
₹553.63 Crore Released to Andhra Pradesh
The Centre also informed the Lok Sabha that Andhra Pradesh received ₹553.63 crore under the National Clean Air Programme between 2019-20 and 2025-26. Of this, ₹399.97 crore was released through the 15th Finance Commission Challenge Fund, while ₹153.66 crore was provided under the Ministry’s Control of Pollution Scheme for implementing city-specific clean air measures.
