Lives at stake – Poor air quality is a public policy failure

Source: The post is based on the article “Lives at stake – Poor air quality is a public policy failure” published in Business Standard on 31^st August 2023.

Syllabus: GS 3 – Environment

Relevance: concerns with rising air pollution

News: The results of the air quality life index study by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago highlight a concerning situation for India.

What are the findings of the index?

The study found that all Indians live in areas with air pollution above WHO limits. Delhi is the world’s most polluted city, and people there lose 12 years of life due to air pollution.

However, the problem is not limited to Delhi, as 67% of Indians live in areas that exceed India’s national standard for air pollution.

What are the reasons behind rising air pollution? 

Ineffective Policies: Air pollution in India is primarily due to ineffective policies that neglect key pollution sources, especially PM 2.5 particles.

In 2019, India launched the National Clean Air Programme to lower PM2.5 and PM10 levels by 20-30% by 2024 from 2017. However, the policy has been ineffective.

Moreover, India remains one of the world’s largest consumers of coal. Most of India’s electricity comes from polluting coal plants while renewable energy, mainly solar, only accounts for 12% of the energy mix.

High Cost of Renewable Energy: The low share of renewable energy is due to high tariffs on imported solar panels, complex domestic sourcing norms, and unresolved power price and technical issues.

These factors discourage state-owned distribution companies from adopting renewables.

Issues with Electric Vehicles (EVs): India’s push for electric vehicles (EVs) to cut emissions is hindered by its reliance on fossil fuels. Charging stations for EVs are powered by polluting thermal sources, exacerbating the issue. Misdirected subsidies have also affected the adoption of EVs by consumers.

Construction Dust: Construction dust is another major source of pollution, and it is overtaking vehicular pollution. The National Green Tribunal has mandated several procedures for reducing dust pollution at construction sites, but these are not being followed.

Stubble Burning: Stubble burning is a problem that envelops north India in a grey haze each year. This problem is caused by agricultural policies that encouraged water-intensive crops to be grown in water-poor areas.

What is the way ahead?

Air pollution disproportionately affects the poor and middle classes. The rich can afford to insulate themselves from the effects of pollution, but the average Indian has no escape. Therefore, politicians who care about the poor should make clean air a top priority.