India’s Air Pollution Strategy Needs Atmanirbharta
Kartavya Desk Staff
Syllabus: Pollution
Source: IE
Context: The lack of self-reliance in India’s air pollution strategy has come under scrutiny following global disruptions in climate research and continued foreign-led studies on India’s pollution crisis.
About India’s Air Pollution Strategy Needs Atmanirbharta:
• India’s Air Pollution: Data & Status
• Global Rankings: Over 12 Indian cities consistently rank among the world’s top 20 most polluted cities (IQAir, 2024). Mortality: Air pollution contributes to 1.6 million deaths annually in India (Lancet, 2020). Ambient Monitoring: Only 131 cities are covered under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) despite over 4,000 cities and towns.
• Global Rankings: Over 12 Indian cities consistently rank among the world’s top 20 most polluted cities (IQAir, 2024).
• Mortality: Air pollution contributes to 1.6 million deaths annually in India (Lancet, 2020).
• Ambient Monitoring: Only 131 cities are covered under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) despite over 4,000 cities and towns.
Key Initiatives & History:
• 1984: Launch of the National Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAAQMP).
• 2001–2010: Development of SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research), India’s first indigenous real-time forecasting system.
• 2019: Implementation of NCAP targeting 20–30% reduction in PM2.5 and PM10 levels by 2024.
• EV Push: States like Delhi and Tamil Nadu lead the transition to Electric Vehicles to curb urban emissions.
• Anusandhan NRF: Promotes collaborative R&D between academia and industry for pollution solutions.
Challenges in Combating Air Pollution:
• Over-reliance on Foreign Data: India’s climate models are heavily dependent on data from foreign satellites and agencies.
• Limited Research Capacity: Most global-funded studies on Indian pollution are led by foreign institutions, not Indian researchers.
• Uneven Resource Allocation: Elite institutions corner most of the funding; regional R&D bodies remain under-resourced.
• Unspent Funds: Despite air quality funds, Pollution Control Boards (PCBs) often return unused allocations.
• City-Centric Focus: Current strategies neglect airshed-level pollution, ignoring the inter-district and inter-state flow of pollutants.
Way Forward: Towards Atmanirbharta
• Develop Indigenous Data Systems: India should invest in launching polar-orbiting satellites for self-sustained climate data.
• Expand SAFAR Nationwide: Enhance and scale SAFAR to at least 100 cities for real-time prediction and public access.
• Integrate with Health Metrics: Adopt health-centric pollution control frameworks, linking exposure data with public health outcomes.
• Implement NARFI: Accelerate the rollout of the National Air Quality Resource Framework of India (NARFI) to unify efforts across states and sectors.
• Strengthen ESSO-IMD & CPCB Synergy: Create a joint air quality authority leveraging the technical strengths of meteorology and pollution science.
• Decentralise R&D Funding: Promote state-wise innovation hubs and fund second-tier institutions for grassroots tech solutions.
Conclusion:
India’s battle against air pollution requires more than scattered projects — it needs systemic, indigenous innovation. Bridging research gaps, decentralising data capacity, and moving beyond city silos to regional airshed governance can deliver real self-reliance. Only then can we truly breathe easy.
• Describe the key points of the revised Global Air Quality Guidelines (AQGs) recently released by the World Health Organisation (WHO). How are these different from its last update in 2005? What changes in India’s National Clean Air Programme are required to achieve these revised standards?