Air Quality
In simplest terms, air quality refers to the degree to which the air in a particular place is pollution-free. An adult breathes 15,000 litres of air every day. When we breathe polluted air, pollutants get into our lungs; they can enter the bloodstream and be carried to our internal organs such as the brain. This can cause severe health problems such as asthma, cardiovascular diseases and even cancer and reduces the quality and number of years of life.
In simplest terms, air quality refers to the degree to which the air in a particular place is pollution-free. An adult breathes 15,000 litres of air every day. When we breathe polluted air, pollutants get into our lungs; they can enter the bloodstream and be carried to our internal organs such as the brain. This can cause severe health problems such as asthma, cardiovascular diseases and even cancer and reduces the quality and number of years of life.
SUBJECT Variables
AIR POLLUTION (PM 2.5)
- Delhi saw a 10% increase in PM2.5 concentrations in 2023 with levels rising to 102.1 µg/m3 from 92.6 µg/m3 in 2022. No city in India met the WHO air quality guideline of 5 µg/m3 . In 2023, 48% of India’s cities exceeded 50 µg/m3, or more than 10 times the WHO guideline.
- Most cities in India remain within the Unhealthy to Very Unhealthy range of Air pollution and much higher than the prescribed WHO target of 10 ug/m3
- As per IQAir 2023 report, 14 of the top 15 most polluted cities in Central and South Asia are located in India.
- It is estimated that as much as 20 to 40% of Delhi’s (the world’s second most populous city) air pollution originates from Punjab farm fires. During peak burning season, Delhi experienced average PM2.5 levels of 144 μg/m³ in November and 157 μg/m³ in December, exceeding the WHO’s annual exposure guideline by more than 14 times.
- India Ministry of Earth Sciences published a research paper in Oct'18 attributing almost 41% to vehicular emissions, 21.5% to dust and 18% to industries.
- While India promotes access to fuels which emit less particulate pollution like liquefied gas and increases the share of clean energy extending electricity access across the country, coal remains the major domestic source of India’s energy supply.
- The months from November to January see the maximum rise in Air pollution within the Delhi-Ghaziabad belt. This is majorly attributed to stubble burning in Punjab. It is estimated that as much as 20 to 40% of Delhi’s (the world’s second most populous city) air pollution originates from Punjab farm fires
- Most cities in India remain within the Unhealthy to Very Unhealthy range of Air pollution around the year and much higher than the prescribed WHO target of 10 ug/m3
POPULATION AFFECTED
This chart reflects the percentage of population living in areas with PM2.5 (ug/m3) concentrations exceeding WHO Air Quality Guidelines. As per researchers, air pollution kills over 1 million people in India each year and is the fifth largest killer in India. In Delhi, poor quality air irreversibly damages the lungs of 2.2 million or 50 percent of all children.
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