Air Pollution in India: All you need to know for UPSC Mains

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1. Context & Background:

  • As per WHO, 9 of the world’s 10 most polluted cities are in India (2023 data).

  • Delhi, Kanpur, Varanasi, Ghaziabad, etc., often record PM2.5 levels far above the safe limit (15 µg/m³ annual avg).

  • Recent AQI crises during winters have highlighted systemic and seasonal pollution spikes.

2. Causes of Air Pollution:

  • Vehicular Emissions: Major contributor in urban areas.

  • Industrial Pollution: Thermal power plants, refineries, construction dust.

  • Crop Residue Burning: Punjab-Haryana region in winters.

  • Household Emissions: Biomass burning for cooking (rural areas).

  • Waste Burning and open dumping.

  • Natural Factors: Dust storms (Thar), temperature inversions in winters.



3. Worst-Affected Regions:

  • Indo-Gangetic plain (high population + stagnant air).

  • Delhi-NCR, Lucknow, Patna, Kanpur, Kolkata.

  • Mining areas: Jharkhand, Odisha (PM & heavy metals).

  • Industrial belts: Maharashtra (MIDC), Gujarat (Ankleshwar), Tamil Nadu (Vellore).

4. Conventions and Guidelines:

  • WHO Air Quality Guidelines (2021): PM2.5 = 5 µg/m³ (annual), PM10 = 15 µg/m³.

  • National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) by CPCB.

  • Stockholm Convention (for POPs).

  • Paris Agreement: Emission reduction targets (NDCs).



5. Government Initiatives:

  • National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) (2019):

    • Reduce PM2.5/PM10 by 40% (2026, base year 2017).

    • Covers 131 cities (non-attainment cities).

  • Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM): For NCR region.

  • BS-VI Fuel Standard (from April 2020).

  • Faster Adoption of Electric Vehicles (FAME I & II).

  • GRAP (Graded Response Action Plan): Seasonal control in Delhi-NCR.

  • SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research): Provides real-time AQI data.

6. Institutional Mechanisms:

  • CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board) and SPCBs.

  • Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).

  • State Pollution Control Boards: Enforce local standards.

  • NITI Aayog’s role in planning sustainable transport and energy.

7. Challenges:

  • Lack of city-level emissions inventory.

  • Ineffective enforcement of construction and vehicular norms.

  • Stubble burning persists despite mechanisation efforts.

  • Weak coordination between Centre and States.

  • Limited funding and poor technical capacity in urban local bodies.

8. Energy Linkages and Pollution:

  • Coal-based power plants: Largest source of SO2 and PM.

  • Bioenergy (like Gobar gas) and solar/wind: Cleaner alternatives promoted under Renewable Energy targets.

  • National Bio-Energy Mission (by MNRE) aims to promote biomass-based power.

  • Ethanol blending in petrol (20% target by 2025): To reduce vehicular emissions.

9. Future Remedies:

  • Incentivising public transport (metro, e-buses).

  • Accelerating rooftop solar, clean cooking fuels (LPG, electric).

  • Urban forestry (e.g., Miyawaki plantations).

  • Better satellite monitoring and source apportionment studies.

  • Introducing stricter norms for VOCs and ozone.

10. Way Forward:

  • Holistic, multi-sector approach including transport, industry, agriculture and urban governance.

  • Greater citizen participation, real-time monitoring, and technological solutions like smog towers.

  • India must align its efforts with its NDCs under Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goal 13 (Climate Action).

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