As per the 2024 World Air Quality Report (IQAir), India ranked 5th most polluted country, with 6 of the world’s 10 most polluted cities located in India.
Major Causes of Air Pollution in India:
1. Vehicular Emissions:
- Rapid increase in vehicle ownership has led to high emissions of CO, NOx, PM2.5 and PM10.
- The problem is aggravated by traffic congestion, ageing vehicles, and weak inspection regimes.
2. Industrial and Power Sector Emissions:
- Coal-based thermal power plants and industries emit SO₂, NOx and particulate matter.
- Delays in adopting flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) and cleaner technologies worsen the problem.
3. Agricultural Activities:
- Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana significantly elevates winter PM2.5 levels in northern India.
- Excessive fertilizer use releases nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere.
4. Household Biomass Burning: Use of firewood, cow dung and coal for cooking emits black carbon and fine particulates, affecting both indoor air quality and climate change.
5. Construction and Road Dust: Cement dust, silica particles and unpaved roads are major contributors to urban particulate pollution.
6. Other Factors: Open waste burning, deforestation and unregulated informal sector activities compound air pollution.
Impacts of Air Pollution:
Health Impacts:
- Increased incidence of asthma, COPD, cardiovascular diseases, lung cancer, and reduced life expectancy.
- Children and elderly face disproportionate vulnerability.
Economic Impacts:
- Productivity losses, rising healthcare costs and reduced labour efficiency.
- Pollution-induced morbidity undermines India’s demographic dividend.
Environmental Impacts:
- Acid rain, crop damage, ecosystem degradation and accelerated climate change due to black carbon.
Government Initiatives to Tackle Air Pollution:
Policy & Regulatory Measures:
- National Clean Air Programme (NCAP): Revised target of up to 40% reduction in PM10 or meeting national standards by 2025–26 through city action plans.
- Bharat Stage VI Emission Norms: Tightened vehicular emission standards.
Energy & Transport Transition:
- Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY): Reduced indoor air pollution by promoting LPG use.
- FAME-II Scheme: Encourages electric vehicle adoption.
- Coal phase-out measures in NCR to curb industrial pollution.
Way Forward:
1. Emission-Source–Based Planning: Shift focus from AQI levels to identifying and reducing key emission sources at city and district levels through granular emission inventories.
2. Empower Local Governments: Build technical and financial capacity of ULBs and panchayats so air pollution becomes part of routine governance, not crisis management.
3. Outcome-Linked Funding: Link NCAP and climate funds to measurable actions such as vehicles scrapped, clean stoves adopted, construction dust controlled etc to improve utilisation and accountability.
4. Clean Energy & Transport Transition: Accelerate renewables, EV adoption, public transport electrification, and industrial fuel switching to reduce fossil-fuel dependence.
5. Behavioural Measures: Combine regulation with economic incentives for farmers, households and informal sectors to enable sustainable behaviour change.
6. Regional Airshed Approach: Address air pollution through inter-state coordination based on airsheds, especially in NCR and the Indo-Gangetic Plain.
Conclusion:
Clean air outcomes require data-driven governance, decentralised action and sustained behavioural change. A shift from passive monitoring to proactive management is essential to deliver cleaner air and safeguard India’s future development trajectory.
‘+1’ Value Addition:
- Average PM2.5 concentration stood at 50.6 μg/m³ in 2024, despite a 7% decline compared to the previous year.
- According to Clean Air Fund, air pollution causes around 2 million premature deaths annually in India.
- In 2024, Delhi did not record even a single ‘Good Air Quality’ day (AQI < 50) for the first time in six years.
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