India’s Efforts To Clean Its Air Need Not Slow Its Economic Growth, Pg II

Key Highlights:

• India ranked 176 out of 177 countries in the 2026 Environmental Performance Index (EPI), performing worst on air quality at rank 175.
• The State of Global Air 2025 report estimated over 20 lakh deaths in India in 2023 were attributable to air pollution.
• The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) reported lower annual PM10 concentrations in 108 of 130 cities between 2017-18 and 2025-26.
• The government provided ₹16,423.55 crore in performance-linked funds to 130 NCAP cities for air pollution control from 2019-20 to 2025-26.
• National initiatives like Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, PM E-DRIVE, and PM Surya Ghar contribute to cleaner air alongside other objectives.

India's Air Pollution Challenge.jpg

Detailed Insights:

• India's low EPI ranking underscores the significant challenge of mitigating air pollution while sustaining rapid economic growth.
• Key sectors vital for development, including industry, power generation, transport, and agriculture, are major sources of air pollution.
• China's experience demonstrates that substantial pollution reduction is achievable during economic expansion through stringent emission controls.
• The International Energy Agency projects India's electricity demand to grow by 6.4% annually through 2030, with solar and coal meeting significant portions.
• Revised Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) requirements for thermal power plants in July 2025 highlight the policy dilemma between immediate control costs and distributed long-term benefits.
• Assessing progress requires evaluating whether the combined impact of cleaner technologies effectively offsets the increase in emissive activities.
• Effective interventions should generate co-benefits, addressing air pollution while simultaneously advancing other development priorities like energy efficiency or urban services.
• Policymakers need to establish clear connections between investment and outcomes, measuring expected pollution reduction, costs, and actual exposure reduction.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Environmental Performance Index (EPI): A data-driven summary of the state of sustainability and environmental health around the world.
• National Clean Air Programme (NCAP): A national-level strategy launched by India to tackle air pollution across 131 non-attainment cities.
• PM10/PM2.5: Particulate matter, referring to inhalable particles with diameters of 10 micrometers or less (PM10) and 2.5 micrometers or less (PM2.5).
• Co-benefits: Additional positive outcomes that arise from an action primarily aimed at achieving another specific goal, such as health benefits from cleaner energy.