Air pollution in India — where does it come from? Pg9

Key Highlights:

• India reported 1.05 million premature deaths in 2021 due to air pollution, highlighting a severe public health crisis.
• Energy production is the largest contributor to sulphur dioxide (SO₂) emissions (7.59 million tonnes).
• Transport is the leading source of nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) and a major contributor to black carbon and methane.
• Agriculture is the largest emitter of methane (19.35 million t), primarily from livestock and rice paddies.
• Buildings and domestic fuel burning contribute significantly to non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) and black carbon.

Background/Context

• Air pollution is a complex mix of gases and particulate matter from fossil fuels, biomass burning, transport, and industrial processes.
• It affects respiratory and cardiovascular health, reduces crop yield, and accelerates climate change.

Key Pollutants and Sources (as per 2022 data):

1. Sulphur Dioxide (SO₂)

• Total: 11.24 million t
• Top sources: Energy (7.59 million t), Industry (3.15 million t)

2. Nitrogen Oxides (NOₓ)

• Total: 8.44 million t
• Top sources: Transport (3.42 million t), Industry (1.16 million t), Energy (3.04 million t)

3. Black Carbon

• Total: 442,084 t
• Top sources: Buildings (147,271 t), Transport (83,307 t), Industry (83,137 t)

4. Methane (CH₄)

• Total: 33.26 million t
• Top sources: Agriculture (19.35 million t), Waste (7.6 million t)

5. Ammonia (NH₃)

• Total: 8.44 million t
• Top sources: Agriculture (6.001 million t), Domestic Aviation (974 t)

6. Non-Methane Volatile Organic Compounds (NMVOCs)

• Total: 3.98 million t
• Top sources: Buildings (1.36 million t), Energy (892,580 t), Transport (520,685 t)

Strategic/Policy/Economic Implications

• Urgent need for multi-sectoral pollution control, targeting power, transport, waste, and agriculture.
• Policies must integrate health risks, climate change co-benefits, and livelihood considerations.
• Transport and energy reform (EVs, renewables, public transport) can curb SO₂ and NOₓ.
• Agricultural interventions (methane-reducing livestock diets, alternate wetting-drying for rice) needed to control CH₄.
• India must revise air quality norms, enforce clean fuel transitions, and promote green building codes.

India's Stand or Way Forward

• Strengthen National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) to include regional and rural air quality targets.
• Incentivise states to adopt low-emission development pathways.
• Invest in real-time air quality monitoring and pollution attribution science.
• Enhance urban planning, waste segregation, and agroecological practices.

Challenges Ahead

• Balancing economic growth with emission control, especially in industrial and energy sectors.
• Ensuring inter-agency coordination for cross-sectoral pollutant mitigation.
• Tackling rural air pollution often ignored in urban-centric narratives.
• Overcoming data gaps and enforcement limitations at state and local levels.

Mains Mock Question:

“Air pollution in India is not just an urban issue but a complex, multi-sectoral crisis with major health and environmental implications. Examine the major sources and suggest integrated policy solutions.”