Celebrate an Eco-Friendly Green Diwali for Cleaner Air: WWF-India EIACP appeals to citizens of Delhi-NCR to take the Green Diwali Pledge
PIB National (English) · Published 8 November 2026 · Last updated
MoEF&CC-supported WWF-India EIACP concluded its nationwide Green Diwali Campaign under Mission LiFE across 130 NCAP cities, urging Delhi-NCR citizens to take an anti-pollution pledge amid worsening air quality.
Key points
- WWF-India's EIACP Programme Centre – Resource Partner (PC-RP), supported by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), urged Delhi-NCR residents to adopt a cracker-free Green Diwali.
- The initiative formed part of the nationwide Green Diwali Campaign 2026, conducted from 20th October to 8th November 2026 under the umbrella of Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment).
- The campaign maintained a targeted operational focus across 130 cities covered by the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) spanning 24 States and Union Territories.
- According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi's air quality reached the 'Very Poor' classification, with risks of escalating further.
- Forecasts from the Air Quality Early Warning System projected regional atmospheric conditions potentially deteriorating into the 'Severe' category during festive days.
- The Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) is enforcing stage-wise mitigation protocols under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across the capital region.
- Citizens were invited to commit to the Green Diwali Pledge and evaluate individual ecological impacts via WWF-India's Carbon Footprint Survey.
- Participating institutions and civil groups were directed to submit activity data, participant counts, and geo-tagged documentation via an official portal for potential profiling on EIACP platforms.
Background
- Air quality in Delhi-NCR experiences acute seasonal post-monsoon degradation, driven by meteorological stagnation, regional biomass burning, and episodic festive emissions.
- To systematically address non-attainment urban centres, the MoEF&CC previously instituted the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) to establish city-specific clean air action plans.
- Statutory oversight of air pollution in the national capital region was centralized under the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas Act to coordinate interstate interventions.
- The institutional framework transitioned emergency air quality protocols into the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), categorizing pollution spikes into action-triggering tiers monitored by the CPCB.
- Mission LiFE was formulated to translate top-down regulatory actions into bottom-up civic behavioural modifications, providing the operational basis for the 2026 Green Diwali campaign.
UPSC relevance, Prelims facts and Mains angle for this issue are in the full SWAदेSH note.
Original report: PIB National (English)