Environment & Ecology
Air pollution in India
Overview
Air pollution in India is a serious environmental issue. Air pollution contributes to the premature deaths of 2 million Indians every year. Of the 30 most polluted cities in the world, 21 were in India in 2019. As per a study based on 2016 data, at least 140 million people in India breathe air that is 10 times or more over the WHO safe limit and 13 of the world's 20 cities with the highest annual levels of air pollution are in India. As per the World Air Quality Report 2023, of the 100 most polluted cities in the world, 83 are in India. The main contributors to India's particulate air pollution include industrial and vehicular emissions, construction dust and debris, dependence on thermal power for electricity, waste burning, and use of wood and dung by low-income and rural households for cooking and heating. 51% of India's air pollution is caused by industrial pollution, 27% by vehicles, 17% by crop burning and 5% by other sources. Emissions come from vehicles and industry, whereas in rural areas, much of the pollution stems from biomass burning for cooking and keeping warm. In autumn and spring months, large scale crop residue burning in agriculture fields – a cheaper alternative to mechanical tilling – is a major source of smoke, smog and particulate pollution. India has a low per capita emissions of greenhouse gases but the country as a whole is the third largest greenhouse gas producer after China and the United States. A 2013 study on non-smokers found that Indians, on average, have about 30% lower lung function compared to Europeans.
Source: Wikipedia — Air pollution in India (CC BY-SA)
Key concepts
How Air pollution in India connects to the ideas, people and events around it.
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the world's seventh-largest country by area and its most populous.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies.
Air pollution is the presence of substances in the air that are harmful to humans, other living beings or the environment. Pollutants can be gases, like ozone or nitrogen oxides, or small particles like soot and dust.
Particulate matter (PM) or particulates are microscopic particles of solid or liquid matter suspended in the air. The combination of particulates and air is called an aerosol.
Stubble burning is the practice of intentionally setting fire to the straw stubble that remains after grains, such as rice and wheat, have been harvested. The technique is used to quickly and cheaply clear fields. It is still widespread today.
One aspect of energy poverty is lack of access to clean, modern fuels and technologies for cooking. As of 2020, more than 2.6 billion people in developing countries routinely cook with fuels such as wood, animal dung, coal, or kerosene.
Smog, or smoke fog, is a type of intense air pollution. The word "smog" was coined in the early 20th century, and is a portmanteau of the words smoke and fog to refer to smoky fog due to its opacity, and odour.
Greenhouse gases (GHGs) are the gases in an atmosphere that trap heat, raising the surface temperature of astronomical bodies such as Earth. Unlike other gases, greenhouse gases absorb the radiations that a planet emits, resulting in the greenhouse effect.
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Flashcards and a quick quiz, built from this map.
Questions about Air pollution in India
What is Air pollution in India?
Air pollution in India is a serious environmental issue. Air pollution contributes to the premature deaths of 2 million Indians every year. Of the 30 most polluted cities in the world, 21 were in India in 2019.
What are the key concepts related to Air pollution in India?
The main concepts connected to Air pollution in India include India, World Health Organization, Air pollution, Particulate matter, Stubble burning, Energy poverty and cooking, Smog, Greenhouse gas. Each is linked on the map above with its own summary.
Which exams cover Air pollution in India?
Air pollution in India is part of Environment & Ecology, which appears in the syllabus of UPSC CSE, UPSC CAPF, SSC CGL, SSC CHSL, SSC MTS, SSC GD and 43 more exams.