According to State of Global Air Report 2019, in 2017, annual PM2.5 (particulate matter that have a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers) exposures were highest in South Asia, where Nepal (100 µg/m3), India (91 µg/m3), Bangladesh (61 µg/m3), and Pakistan (58 µg/m3) had the highest exposures. Airpocalypse III, is the report released by Greenpeace, which analyzed air pollution data of 313 cities and towns for the year 2017.Of these 241 (77%) had PM10 (particles that are 10 micrometers or less) levels beyond the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).
Frontier Report of UN- It includes chapter on nitrogen pollution. It shows the rising levels of nitrogen due to livestock, transport and agriculture has led to nitrogen pollution.
The Indian Nitrogen Assessment shows that agriculture is the main source of nitrogen pollution in India within which cereals contribute the most. Wheat and Rice take up 33 per cent of applied nitrogen fertilizer in form of nitrates while 67 per cent is causing nitrogen pollution as it seeps through soil.
Air is an important natural resource which is vital for healthy human resource and sustainable environment. Its pollution has led to health complications for humans and warming up of environment leading to climate change and decreased productivity of crops thus threatening food security. This has led government to act in urgent manner.
Cause of Diseases
Global Burden of Disease from Major Air Pollution Sources (GBD MAPS) project found that in India, household burning of biomass was responsible for about 24% of the total population-weighted PM2.5 concentrations in 2015. Global patterns of deaths attributable to ambient PM2.5 generally mirror the global patterns of population-weighted PM2.5 concentrations around the world. In 2017, ozone exposure accounted for about 472,000 deaths from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, most of which occurred in China (38%) and India (31%). In 2017, exposure to PM2.5 was the third leading risk factor for type 2 diabetes deaths, after high blood sugar and high body mass index. This burden was highest in India, where PM2.5 exposure accounted for 55,000 deaths.
Sources of Particulate Matter PM2.5 sources in India include household burning of solid fuels; dust from construction, roads, and other activities; industrial and power plant burning of coal; brick production; transportation; and diesel-powered equipment. An estimated 846 million people in India (60% of the population) were exposed to household air pollution in 2017. |
In light of seriousness of the menace of air pollution, government initiatives in past are:
National Clean Air Programme (NCAP): Overall objective of the NCAP is comprehensive mitigation actions for prevention, control and abatement of air pollution besides augmenting the air quality monitoring network across the country and strengthening the awareness and capacity building activities.
Challenges
Moral hazard in polluting air as it is a free resource.
Way Forward
Adequate financial support to pollution abatement measures is needed.