Patiala, October 17: Punjab’s efforts to combat air pollution have received national recognition, with four initiatives from the state featuring in the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) Compendium of Best Practices under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), 2026.
The initiatives include Mission Clean Patiala, the installation of an Air Pollution Control Device (APCD) at a traditional crematorium in Patiala, gas-based crematoria in Mandi Gobindgarh and a bio-methanation plant in Gobindgarh. The recognition highlights Punjab’s adoption of community participation, technology-driven interventions and sustainable waste management to improve air quality.
Mission Clean Patiala promotes public participation
Launched by the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) in collaboration with the District Administration and Municipal Corporation, Patiala, and conceptualised in association with the Centre for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP), Mission Clean Patiala aims to improve urban cleanliness and encourage responsible environmental practices.
The campaign brings together educational institutions, government departments, organisations and citizens through regular road-cleaning drives. It focuses on removing accumulated waste, discouraging open burning and promoting responsible waste disposal.
By involving people across generations and different sections of society, the initiative seeks to make cleanliness a regular civic responsibility. Preventing waste accumulation and open burning can also help reduce particulate matter and other harmful air pollutants.
Technology to curb emissions from crematoria
The installation of an Air Pollution Control Device at a traditional wood-based crematorium in Patiala is another initiative recognised in the national compendium. Implemented as a pilot under NCAP, the intervention is designed to reduce particulate emissions while respecting established religious and cultural practices.
Gas-based crematoria in Mandi Gobindgarh offer an alternative to conventional wood-based cremation, with the aim of addressing associated emissions through cleaner technology.
The bio-methanation plant in Gobindgarh represents another approach to sustainable environmental management. It processes biodegradable organic waste to generate biogas, helping divert suitable waste from conventional disposal routes and recover useful resources. Effective waste segregation and proper plant operations remain important to maximising its environmental benefits.
Focus on sustainable and replicable solutions
Together, the four initiatives demonstrate how public participation, pollution-control technology and improved waste management can complement one another in addressing different sources of air pollution.
The inclusion of these practices in the CPCB compendium also highlights the potential of locally developed solutions to inform environmental interventions in other cities, subject to performance assessment and local requirements.
PPCB Chairperson Reena Gupta said the national recognition reinforced the Board’s belief that lasting environmental change depends on combining scientific solutions with public participation.
From Mission Clean Patiala, which promotes shared civic responsibility, to pollution-control technology at traditional crematoria, Punjab is focusing on tackling pollution at its source and developing models that can be expanded across the state, she said.
Gupta added that the Board would continue to innovate and collaborate to translate environmental commitments into tangible improvements in people’s lives, with the vision of building a “Rangla Punjab” defined by cleaner air, healthier communities and sustainable development.
