The World Bank, the Government of India, and the Government of Haryana have signed an agreement to support Haryana’s multi-sectoral action plan to improve air quality across the state. The initiative is designed not only to reduce pollution but also to create new employment opportunities, particularly for youth and women, while strengthening long-term public health and environmental outcomes.
The agreement supports the Haryana Clean Air Project for Sustainable Development Operation, a $300 million program that will help the state tackle air pollution through coordinated action across multiple sectors. The project is expected to generate benefits beyond Haryana, with cleaner air outcomes likely to extend to neighboring states and the National Capital Region. It will also improve the state’s ability to monitor and manage pollution by expanding air quality monitoring networks and introducing an advanced decision support system to enable more data-driven policy decisions.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh described the partnership as an important step in strengthening the state’s commitment to cleaner air and better public health. He emphasized that the initiative will accelerate the implementation of broad measures to improve quality of life across the region, while also supporting clean and sustainable urban mobility and creating meaningful jobs in both urban and rural areas, especially for women and young people.
The agreement was formally signed by representatives of the Government of India, the Government of Haryana, and the World Bank. According to the World Bank, the program will also mobilize an additional $127 million in private capital for targeted investments in sectors such as transport, energy, and industry. These investments are expected to improve liveability in Haryana as well as in the capital region by supporting cleaner infrastructure and services.
A major employment component of the program will focus on helping around 10,000 people—particularly women—secure jobs as drivers, conductors, and other operational staff for e-bus services in Gurugram and Faridabad. This reflects the project’s dual emphasis on environmental improvement and inclusive economic opportunity, linking cleaner transport systems with workforce participation and livelihoods.
The project will also support cleaner production and agricultural practices. Around 2,000 micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) will receive incentives to adopt cleaner technologies, while farmers will be encouraged to use machinery and alternative methods that reduce crop residue burning and livestock waste. These measures are intended to address some of the major contributors to air pollution while promoting more sustainable industrial and agricultural systems.
The Haryana initiative forms part of the World Bank’s broader Regional Air Quality Management Program in the Indo-Gangetic Plains and Himalayan Foothills, one of the world’s most severely polluted regions. By combining public investment, private capital, job creation, and targeted incentives, the program aims to deliver long-term gains for public health, climate mitigation, and sustainable economic growth. The financing will have a maturity period of 23.5 years, including a six-year grace period.
