India is focusing on PM10, but PM2.5 is the real threat, Pg20

Key Highlights:

• A new report by Sustainable Futures Collaborative (SFC) analyzes air pollution strategies in countries like Brazil, China, and the US to provide insights for India.
• The report highlights that air quality isn't a top political priority in India due to a lack of public awareness regarding health and financial impacts.
• Other countries like China and Mexico have successfully tackled air pollution through top-down government approaches and coordinated action plans.
• India's National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) focuses primarily on PM10 reduction, unlike other countries that prioritize the more harmful PM2.5.
• Pollution control boards in India are understaffed and underfunded, affecting their ability to effectively monitor industrial pollution compliance.

Detailed Insights:

• Public Interest Litigations (PILs) and Supreme Court interventions initially drove air quality reforms in India, but governmental action hasn't been central.
• Poland improved air quality through civil society movements demanding policy changes, while Beijing adopted a top-down approach with specific pollution reduction goals.
• Mexico City addressed severe air pollution by establishing science-based standards, introducing unleaded petrol, and expanding public transportation.
• Beijing relocated industries outside the city's airshed to reduce pollution, a strategy that could be relevant for other polluted cities.
• The NCAP's focus on PM10 is due to existing monitoring practices in many non-attainment cities, leading to actions like road sweeping instead of addressing PM2.5.
• Understaffing in State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) and Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) leads to inadequate monitoring of industrial compliance, sometimes outsourced with potential conflicts of interest.
• Environmental engineers face expanding workloads, overseeing various types of waste compliance in addition to air and water pollution, further straining monitoring efforts.

Key Concepts Involved:

• PM2.5: Fine particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less, easily absorbed in the body and highly toxic.
• PM10: Particulate matter with a diameter of 10 micrometers or less.
• National Clean Air Programme (NCAP): Indian government initiative to reduce air pollution in non-attainment cities.
• Non-attainment cities: Cities that consistently fail to meet National Ambient Air Quality Standards for pollutants.