India holds the dubious distinction of being the second most polluted country in the world with regard to air pollution today. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), of the 10 most polluted cities in the world, 9 are in India. Domestic burning of solid fuels; dust from construction, roads, and other activities; burning of agricultural waste, industrial burning of coal and other fossil fuels; pollution from thermal power plants; brick production; vehicular emissions?; and use of diesel-powered equipment account for the most common sources of air pollution in India. Almost 84% of the Indian population lives in areas that exceed India’s own air quality standards while 100% of the Indian population lives in areas exceeding the healthy air quality standards set by WHO.
Air pollution is a widespread problem with far-reaching environmental, health and economic repercussions. Exposure to poor air quality is linked with increased hospitalizations, disability, and respiratory diseases[iv]. Unless prompt action is taken to curb air pollution, people’s exposure to PM2.5 is likely to increase substantially by 2050 as is the disease burden. The consequential economic ramifications of air pollution are also likely to worsen if the state of our air does not improve.
India is already taking steps to tackle this challenge. The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), which was launched in 2019, has the potential to significantly improve air quality levels across cities by requiring the formulation and implementation of target-based clean air action plans. India’s push to ensure that all households have access to clean cooking fuels is another step in the direction of clean air. The increasing momentum towards cleaner modes of transportation as evinced by the recently adopted the BS VI norms and the push for electric vehicles can also help to improve air quality in Indian cities.
However, there is a lot that remains to be done. Most of our industries are still heavily reliant on emission-intensive processes and transitioning them to cleaner technologies is necessary. Data monitoring and modelling is a key aspect of improving air quality in India but improving infrastructure for this still requires work.
