# Bihar’s Green Budget Triples, But Environmental Gains Remain Elusive 2026-08-07T06:11:15+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Bihar’s green budget has grown from Rs 56 billion in 2020-21 to about Rs 158 billion in 2026, but environmental indicators show limited progress, Mongabay-India reports. Renewable capacity rose from 376 MW to 651 MW, far below the state pollution board’s 10,000 MW target for 2030. Natural water bodies shrank by 16,843 hectares between 2019 and 2025, while waste processing fell to about 30% in 2025 from 58% in 2021. PM2.5 levels exceeded normal limits in 20 of Bihar’s 23 monitored cities in 2025, while sulphur dioxide levels rose from 8.6 to 11.4 micrograms per cubic metre since 2020. Bihar used 60% of funds allocated under the National Clean Air Programme. Researchers quoted by Mongabay-India called for independent evaluations linking spending to measurable outcomes. ## Coverage - india.mongabay.com Tags: air pollution, Bihar, green budget, renewable energy, waste management Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/bihars-green-budget-triples-but-environmental-gains-remain-elusive/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/bihars-green-budget-triples-but-environmental-gains-remain-elusive/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.