Despite being at the epicenter of India’s pollution crisis, Delhi and several other Indian cities have significantly underutilized the financial support extended to them under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). Launched in 2019 with the ambitious goal of curbing particulate matter (PM10) levels by 40% across 130 high-risk urban areas by 2026, the program has faced severe implementation gaps. Official records reveal that Delhi has spent just 32.65% of its allocation, while 13 other cities have similarly lagged. Overall, only 71% of the Rs.