Air Pollution In India: Causes And Concerns

India is one of the world's most polluted countries, with 21 of the world's 30 most polluted cities in 2019. Air pollution is a pressing public health issue, causing an estimated 1,795,181 deaths in 2016 and contributing to health issues such as respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. The main causes of India's air pollution include industrial and vehicular emissions, construction dust and debris, thermal power plants, waste burning, and the use of wood and dung for cooking and heating in low-income and rural households.

Industrial and vehicular emissions

India is one of the world's most polluted countries, with 21 of the world's 30 most polluted cities in 2019. Air pollution is a pressing public health issue, causing 1.67 million deaths in 2019 alone, and it also impacts the economy. Industrial and vehicular emissions are major contributors to India's air pollution, alongside construction dust and debris, waste burning, and the use of wood and dung for cooking and heating.

Vehicular emissions are a significant source of air pollution in India, accounting for 27% of the country's air pollution. Motor vehicles emit far more pollutants in real-world conditions than in laboratory tests, and the TRUE Initiative's study in Delhi and Gurugram has highlighted the need for a transition to zero-emission vehicles. Financial incentives also play a role in fuel adulteration, where cheaper hydrocarbons are blended with highly taxed hydrocarbons to reduce costs, further increasing vehicular emissions and air pollution.

India's rapidly growing economy is closely linked to the challenge of air pollution. As the country industrialises, emissions from industries, power plants, and households contribute significantly to air pollution. Industrial pollution accounts for 51% of India's air pollution. To address this issue, India has launched the National Clean Air Program, aiming to reduce particulate matter pollution by 30% by 2024.

The Indian government has also implemented policies to tackle vehicular emissions, such as the Odd-Even Rule in Delhi, which allows vehicles with number plates ending in odd or even digits to be driven on alternate days. Additionally, the Commission of Air Quality Management has been established to address the persistent hazardous levels of air pollution in the National Capital Region and adjoining areas. These initiatives demonstrate India's recognition of the urgent need to curb air pollution and its impact on public health and the economy.

While India's air pollution levels remain a persistent problem, there are signs of progress. For example, between 2017 and 2022, Uttar Pradesh achieved a remarkable reduction in urban and rural PM2.5 levels, with decreases of 37.8% and 38.1%, respectively. The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana initiative, launched in 2016, aims to provide clean cooking fuel to disadvantaged households, reducing household air pollution from burning solid fuels. These efforts demonstrate India's commitment to improving air quality and mitigating the health and economic impacts of air pollution.

Construction dust and debris

India is one of the most polluted countries in the world, with 21 of the 30 most polluted cities in 2019. Construction dust and debris are major contributors to India's particulate air pollution.

Construction sites are significant sources of particulate matter pollution, adding to the overall pollution load in urban areas. Dust is generated during various construction processes, including excavation, demolition, and material transportation. The smaller the particle size, the more harmful the effects. These particles can cause respiratory ailments such as asthma and, if left to accumulate indoors, can combine with moisture to promote the growth of mould, posing severe health risks.

In recent years, the surge in urbanisation and infrastructure development has been accompanied by a concerning increase in air pollution. Construction dust accounted for 59% of air pollution in India. Traditional construction methods, which involve on-site material breaking and crushing, are major sources of dust generation. The use of outdated techniques and equipment further exacerbates the problem.

Several factors have been identified as contributors to aggravated air pollution from construction sites. These include the absence of green curtains around construction sites, inadequate sprinkling of water on debris, and the discontinuation of practices to suppress dust emissions.

To address these issues, a comprehensive approach is necessary. This includes implementing dust control measures at construction sites, ensuring regular sprinkling of water, and enforcing guidelines for effective management of construction waste.

Fuelwood and biomass cakes

Biomass burning releases carbon-containing gases that are far more reactive than cleaner fuels like liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). This has severe health consequences, with an estimated 300,000 to 400,000 people dying annually from indoor air pollution and carbon monoxide poisoning due to biomass burning and the use of chulhas. The health impacts of biomass burning extend beyond immediate deaths, with studies indicating a link between biomass cooking fuel use and chronic bronchitis, tuberculosis, cataracts, and stillbirths, particularly among women who are primary cooks in Indian households.

The use of fuelwood and biomass cakes is deeply entrenched in India's energy landscape, especially in rural areas, where nearly 80% of households rely on biomass fuel as their primary source of cooking fuel. This reliance on biomass fuel is due to the lack of access to clean-burning fuel and modern combustion technologies. Additionally, traditional fuel, including fuelwood, crop residue, and dung cakes, accounts for about 90% of domestic energy use in rural India.

However, there are positive signs of change. Between 2010 and 2021, approximately 50 million households transitioned to LPG as their primary cooking fuel, thanks to programs like Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY). This shift has contributed significantly to reducing air pollution, particularly in residential cooking, with a 13% decrease in PM2.5 emissions during this period.

To further mitigate the impact of fuelwood and biomass cake usage, India needs to continue promoting the adoption of clean-burning fuels and technologies, such as LPG, biogas, or electricity for cooking and heating. By addressing this critical issue, India can reduce up to 48% of its PM2.5 emissions and prevent hundreds of thousands of premature deaths caused by indoor air pollution.

Adulteration of fuel

India is one of the world's most polluted countries, with 21 of the world's 30 most polluted cities. The country's rapid economic growth and development have been accompanied by a rise in air pollution.

The adulteration of automobile fuels, such as gasoline and diesel, leads to increased tailpipe emissions and consequent negative impacts on public health. These emissions contribute to the formation of secondary particulate matter (PM2.5), which spreads widely and travels across states and jurisdictional borders. Secondary PM2.5 is formed in the upper atmosphere when gaseous pollutants like ammonia, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides mix. India's entire population is exposed to unhealthy levels of ambient PM2.5, which is the most harmful pollutant and emanates from multiple sources.

To prevent fuel adulteration, monitoring of fuel quality at the distribution point is essential. While there is currently no standard method or equipment for detecting adulterants, researchers have explored using the speed of sound in the fuel to estimate the volume percentage of adulterants. This has led to the development of cheap and easy-to-operate equipment for this purpose.

The Indian context involves gasoline being adulterated with diesel, and diesel being adulterated with kerosene. These types of adulteration, when limited to small volume percentages, are difficult to detect by automobile users. The expected adulteration percentage is 10-30% by volume, as less than 10% is financially unattractive, and more than 30% is likely to be noticeable to the user due to degraded engine performance.

Population density

India is one of the most polluted countries in the world, with 1.4 billion people (its entire population) exposed to unhealthy levels of ambient PM2.5, the most harmful pollutant. This is about one-thirtieth the width of a human hair, and exposure to it can cause deadly illnesses such as lung cancer, stroke, and heart disease. The air pollution in India is so severe that it causes about 2 million premature deaths every year, accounting for 17.8% of the total deaths in the country.

The high population density in India has led to a rapid increase in urbanization, particularly in cities close to the Thar Desert in western India. These cities are more susceptible to the effects of dust cover, a significant contributor to PM2.5 levels. Seasonal winds blowing from the west across the desert during the summer months can drive up PM2.5 levels significantly. Human activities, such as construction sites and unpaved roads, also contribute to dust cover and overall air pollution levels.

Furthermore, population density has led to a higher concentration of vehicles and industrial activity in certain areas. As a result, emissions from vehicles and industries, which are major contributors to air pollution, are more concentrated in these densely populated regions. This concentration of pollutants in densely populated areas exacerbates the health impacts of air pollution, leading to increased hospital visits and emergency room admissions for respiratory and cardiovascular conditions.

The Indian government has recognized the urgent need to address hazardous levels of air pollution and has taken several measures. These include setting aside approximately $1.7 billion to fight air pollution in 42 Indian cities with million-plus populations and establishing the Commission of Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and adjoining areas. Additionally, the World Bank has been aiding India in Air Quality Management through a phased strategy, with a particular focus on the Indo-Gangetic Plain, where population density and pollution intensity are the highest.

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