India’s Air Pollution Challenge Spans Rural and Urban Areas

Another key finding from this report is that, across all regions, rural areas have experienced stronger reductions in PM2.5 levels compared to urban areas. This finding may, in part, be attributable to the progress made under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana. This initiative, launched by the Indian government in 2016, aims to provide clean cooking fuel, specifically liquefied petroleum gas, to women in socioeconomically disadvantaged households to reduce household air pollution generated by burning solid fuels such as wood, coal, and biomass for cooking, heating, and lighting needs. However, a significant portion of the rural population in India still depends on solid fuels and estimates suggest that PM2.5 emissions from household sources contribute about 30 to 50 percent of overall ambient PM2.5 levels in the country.

Persistent Challenges and Health Harms

The declines in PM2.5 levels over the past years are encouraging in light of India’s ambitious National Clean Air Progamme (NCAP) goals, which aim to reduce PM2.5 pollution substantially by 2024,but also highlight the importance of air pollution issues outside of urban settings. The objective of the NCAP is to substantially decrease air pollution levels in cities across the country that currently surpass India’s National Ambient Air Quality Standards established to safeguard public health with an acceptable level of safety. India’s Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change has set a national target of reducing annual levels of PM2.5 by 20-30 percent by 2024, relative to a 2017 baseline. However, as of 2023, four years into NCAP implementation, the progress made so far is inconsistent and falls short of achieving the desired results by 2024. Air pollution is not confined to geographical boundaries and requires a comprehensive approach beyond the scope of urban-focused programs like the NCAP. 

Furthermore, it is important to acknowledge that these declines in dangerous air pollution levels need to continue because the current, absolute PM2.5 levels remain unhealthy. The concerning trend holds true when comparing states that are with or without ‘non-attainment cities’ included under NCAP, suggesting that many Indians are being exposed to long-term air pollution that is responsible for a range of dangerous health impacts, including respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases, neurological disorders, and premature death. According to the 2022 State of Global Air Report, at least 1.6 million deaths were attributable to air pollution alone in India in 2019, making it the leading environmental hazard in the country. A separate analysis estimated that in 2019, the economic losses in India resulting from premature deaths and illnesses linked to air pollution were estimated to be $ 29 billion and $8 billion, respectively.

Leveraging Satellite Data for New Insights

India’s air pollution monitoring network is still limited but quickly growing, and this new analysis highlights the value of satellite data in tracking air pollution trends. Satellite-derived PM2.5 levels provide comprehensive insights into pollution patterns and their sources, enabling a better understanding of air quality in both rural and urban areas. This information is vital for designing targeted interventions and implementing effective mitigation strategies.

However, since rural areas are often excluded from air quality monitoring programs, reliance on the current network of air monitors to validate satellite-derived data can result in biased results that do not adequately capture rural pollution levels. To improve the interpretation of satellite data, the establishment of a denser rural air monitoring network is crucial. To accurately reflect air quality trends, experts estimate that India needs a minimum of 4,000 monitoring stations, with 2,800 stations in urban areas and 1,200 stations in rural ones. This target is well above the NCAP national target of 1,500 stations by 2024. A robust monitoring network can be supplemented by long-term chemical speciation sites to identify pollution sources accurately for targeted mitigation efforts. At the household level, conducting systematic surveys and utilizing sensor-based monitoring can help capture shifts in fuel choices. By enhancing the reach of ground-level air monitoring data, policymakers can obtain a more nuanced understanding of air pollution in different regions and develop more effective strategies to address priority sources.

Towards Cleaner Air for All

Overall, this new report underscores the value of satellite data in tracking pollution trends and highlights the importance of addressing pollution sources in both rural and urban settings to safeguard public health in India. Despite differences in sources of air pollution, observed levels of PM2.5 are similarly high in both urban and rural areas. As a result, both urban and rural populations alike face health risks from breathing in contaminated. It is worth noting that air pollution is often seen as an issue primarily affecting urban areas, resulting in less media attention being given to rural regions, even though rural areas encompass about 64 percent of the country’s population.

This new analysis of PM2.5 levels highlights the urgency of addressing this issue through comprehensive and targeted measures. Primary sources of PM2.5 in India include household emissions, power sector emissions, industrial activities, transportation, open burning of crops and waste, and dust. Household emissions have a dominant role throughout India, while vehicular exhaust and dust resuspension are the primary local sources in Indian cities. Although most PM2.5 sources in urban areas are local, non-local contributions can be significant. In Delhi, for example, local sources account for around 70 percent of total PM2.5, with non-local sources contributing over 30 percent, especially during winter. Air quality management should extend beyond urban areas to address pollution sources in both rural and urban settings. Shifting the air pollution management mindset away from highly localized areas towards broader airsheds because addressing pollution sources across multiple sectors can help to deliver air quality gains that are more widespread, equitable, and sustainable over the long term. 

Continued efforts to document the evolving nature of air pollution emissions and exposures in India are needed, and by leveraging scientific knowledge, including the quantification of the related health effects, India can work towards cleaner air and a healthier future for all of its people.

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