Air Pollution Challenge India's Plan to Tackle it in 2024

India possesses both the capacity and responsibility to take the lead in the global battle against air pollution, thereby improving the air quality for its citizens and the environment. India's goal to tackle air pollution by 2024 represents a proactive step forward. However, to realize the benefits and accomplish the desired results, it is imperative for all stakeholders to collaborate and maintain their efforts consistently. 

-  Nikhil Savio

Οne of the biggest threats to India's ecology and health is air pollution. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that air pollution kills over 2 million people in India annually, and the nation is home to 21 of the 30 most polluted cities in the world. The primary causes of air pollution include automobiles, factories, burning of crops, thermal power plants, and emissions from homes. India ranks among the most polluted nations in the world, with over half of its cities having ambient air quality levels above the national average. Its 1.4 billion people's health and well-being, as well as the country's economic prosperity, are seriously threatened by air pollution.

The WHO states that respiration in tiny particulate matter (PM) can lead to heart and lung problems, lung cancer, stroke, and early death. Around 1.67 million deaths in India in 2019 were caused by air pollution, making about 17.8 per cent of all deaths in the nation. An estimate of the financial burden of air pollution placed it at $36.8 billion, or 1.36 per cent of India's GDP.

In response to this challenge, the Indian government initiated the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in 2019, with the objective of achieving a 20-30 per cent reduction in PM2 and PM10 levels by 2024 when compared to the baseline of 2017. The NCAP is a multisectoral, all-inclusive programme that addresses 132 cities that do not meet air quality criteria. The NCAP comprises a number of metrics, including:

• Adding more than 1000 automatic and manual stations, together with satellite-based data and modelling capabilities, to fortify the nation's air quality monitoring network.