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For an expanse of blue, with air so clean

 September 7, 2023  Leave a comment

Syllabus: GS 2 – Health, Government Policies and Interventions, Environmental Pollution and Degradation
Source: The Hindu – 7/09/2023
Context: The 7th of September has been recognised as the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies (Clean Air Day). This event recognises the importance of reducing air pollution.

Content

  • There is an urgent need to address the triple planetary crisis of biodiversity loss, climate change and pollution. 
  • The world is not only grappling with climate change, but also with another silent killer ie,Air pollution. 
  • Global health statistics reveal a disturbing scenario with lung cancer claiming 10 million deaths worldwide in 2020, as stated in the World Health Organization (WHO) factsheet published in 2023.

Air Pollution

  • Air pollution is contamination of the indoor or outdoor environment by any chemical, physical or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere.
  • Ambient (outdoor) air pollution in both cities and rural areas is causing fine particulate matter which result in strokes, heart diseases, lung cancer, acute and chronic respiratory diseases. 
  • The combined effects of ambient air pollution and household air pollution is associated with 7 million premature deaths annually.

Sources of Air Pollution

  • The sources of air pollution are multiple. Vehicular emissions, crop burning, generation of dust- particularly from construction sites, depleting tree covers and poor waste management – all contribute towards the declining air quality.

Major Air pollutants

  • Major Air pollutants are commonly classified into two broad groups: primary and secondary
  • A primary pollutant results from the direct emissions from an air pollution source. Eg: CO2
  • In contrast, a secondary pollutant results from the formation of a pollutant in the atmosphere from the chemical reaction of precursors emitted from air pollution sources. Eg: Peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) is formed by the interaction of nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons.

Impacts

  • Long-term health effects from air pollution include heart disease, lung cancer, and respiratory diseases such as emphysema.
  • Flora and Fauna: Animals and plants are negatively affected by Air pollution as it disrupts their biological cycle.
  • Acid Rain: Air pollution causes acid rain, which damages buildings, forests, wildlife, and agriculture.
  • Climate Change: Greenhouse gas emission from air pollution contributes to climate change.
  • Reduced Visibility: Air pollution reduces visibility due to pollutants such as smog and blocks sunlight.
  • Habitat Damage: Air pollution can damage habitats, water, and food sources for plants and animals.
  • Ozone depletion: Chemicals used as refrigerants, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), contain chlorine atoms. Releasing chlorine atoms into the atmosphere destroys ozone.
  • Global warming: Human activities such as burning fossil fuels and mass deforestation lead to the increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which traps heat inside the atmosphere through a process called the greenhouse effect. This leads to global warming.

Intensity of Air pollution in Indian cities

  • In 2016, a World Health Organisation (WHO) study found that fourteen of the twenty world’s most polluted cities belonged to India.
  • Some other cities with high PM 2.5 levels include Faridabad, Varanasi, Gaya, Patna, Delhi, Lucknow and Agra.
  • New Delhi continues to be the world’s most polluted capital city for the fourth consecutive year, according to the World Air Quality Report, prepared by Swiss organization IQAir.
  • As per a Lancet Report, 1.67 million pollution related deaths were attributed to air pollution in India in 2019, accounting for a staggering 17.8% of the total deaths in the country.

Govt initiatives

  • Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981:The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act was enacted in 1981 and amended in 1987 to provide for the prevention, control and abatement of air pollution in India.This was the first attempt by the government of India to combat air pollution.
  • National Clean Air Programme (NCAP):The Central Government has launched National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) under the Central Sector “Control of Pollution” Scheme as a long-term, time-bound, national level strategy to tackle the air pollution problem across the country in a comprehensive manner with targets to achieve 20% to 30% reduction in     PM 10 and PM 2.5 concentrations by 2024 keeping 2017 as the base year for the comparison of concentration.
  • SAMEER app : Sameer Provides the hourly update of the National Air Quality Index (AQI) published by the Central Pollution Control Board.
  • The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is implementing the Environment Education, Awareness and Training Scheme with the objective to promote environmental awareness among all sections of the society and to mobilize people’s participation for conservation of environment.
  • Under the National Green Corps (NGC) programme of the Ministry, about one lakh schools have been identified as Eco-clubs.
  • Bharat Stage (BS) VI norms: India has adopted Bharat Stage (BS) Emission Standards since 2000, modeled on EU norms. In April 2020, India leapfrogged from BS-IV to the implementation of BS-VI, with current standards similar to Euro-6/VI norms.
  • National Air Quality Monitoring Programme(NAMP): Under NAMP, four air pollutants viz Sulphur Dioxide (SO2), Oxides of Nitrogen as NO2, Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM / PM10) and Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) have been identified for regular monitoring at all the locations.
  • Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY): Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, introduced PMUY as a flagship scheme with an objective to make clean cooking fuel such as LPG available to the rural and deprived households which were otherwise using traditional cooking fuels such as firewood, coal, cow-dung cakes etc.
  • SAFAR portal: The SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research) app collects real-time data on air quality and weather conditions from various monitoring stations across India.
  • Graded Response Action Plan: The Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) is a set of emergency measures to combat air pollution in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) of India.
  • FAME India: Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India) Scheme provides incentives for purchasing electric vehicles.
  • PUSA Decomposer, developed by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), employing biotechnology to address agricultural pollution. 

Global initiatives

  • Global Methane Pledge (GMP): It is a voluntary framework supporting nations to take action to collectively reduce methane emissions by 30% from 2020 levels by 2030. This could eliminate over 0.2˚C of warming by 2050.
  • BreatheLife: It is a joint campaign of the Clean Air and Climate Coalition World Health Organisation, United Nations Environment Programme, and World Bank to mobilize cities and individuals to protect our health and our planet from the effects of air pollution.
  • The Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC): It is a voluntary partnership of over 160 governments, intergovernmental organizations, and non-governmental organizations founded in 2012.It is the only international body working to reduce powerful but short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) – methane, black carbon, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and tropospheric ozone – that drive both climate change and air pollution.

Viable Solutions

  • Promoting clean energy sources such as solar and wind power.
  • Encouraging the use of public transportation, carpooling, and non-motorized transport.
  • Implementing stricter emission standards for industries and vehicles.
  • Promoting energy-efficient technologies and practices.
  • Improving waste management practices to reduce open burning of waste.
  • Promoting sustainable agricultural practices to reduce crop residue burning.
  • Increasing public awareness about the health impacts of air pollution.
  • Enhancing air quality monitoring and forecasting systems.

Case studies

  • China’s shift to clean energy and E-mobility after battling severe pollution
  • Indonesia’s project on ‘Carbon Efficient Farming’ assessing  biomass to reduce CO2 emissions
  • Thailand and Vietnam undertaking measures to reduce open straw burning, are all effective efforts to combat Air Pollution.
  • Globally, cities such as Ljubljana (Slovenia), Accra (Ghana), Seville (Spain), Bogota (Colombia), epitomize the power of prioritizing human health and environmental sustainability.
  • Car-free zones, green spaces, smart urban designs, electrified public transportation, nature-based solutions, and innovative biotechnology demonstrate positive results.

Conclusion

  • A multi-faceted approach that involves policy, finance, and community action is the need of the hour.
  • The best possible way to account for all the complexities related to the cause, effect, and impact of air pollution is through state-wide strategic collaboration.
  • This can be achieved through imbibing the spirit of cooperative federalism along with having a strong leadership to drive forward the policies and actions.

Related topics

Photochemical oxidants

  • Photochemical oxidants are secondary pollutants that are formed during photochemical reactions in the atmosphere. These oxidants have short lifetimes but are continuously formed and destroyed through chemical reactions.
  • Photochemical oxidants are formed in the presence of sunlight from the chemical reactions of VOCs and NOx.
  • These oxidants include ozone, hydrogen peroxide, acids, peroxyacetyl nitrate, and reactive radicals.

Air Quality Index (AQI)

  • Air Quality Index is a tool for effective communication of air quality status to people in terms, which are easy to understand. It transforms complex air quality data of various pollutants into a single number (index value), nomenclature and colour.

Smog

  • Smog is a specific type of air pollution. It is a combination of harmful pollutants (often appearing relatively low to the ground as a yellow-brown haze) that are introduced into the atmosphere by both natural and human induced processes.
  • It was described as a mixture of smoke and fog, hence the name “smog”.
  • Smog is made up of many chemicals including nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur dioxide (SOx), carbon monoxide (CO), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), but the two main components of smog are particulate matter (PM) and ground-level ozone (O3).

Fly Ash

  • Fly ash is a coal combustion product that is composed of the particulates (fine particles of burned fuel) that are driven out of coal-fired boilers together with the flue gases.
  • Ash that falls to the bottom of the boiler’s combustion chamber (commonly called a firebox) is called bottom ash.
  • In modern coal-fired power plants, fly ash is generally captured by electrostatic precipitators or other particle filtration equipment before the flue gases reach the chimneys.
  • Together with bottom ash removed from the bottom of the boiler, it is known as coal ash.

Particulate Matter

  • Particulates or atmospheric particulate matter are microscopic particles of solid or liquid matter suspended in the air.
  • Coarse (bigger) particles, called PM10, can irritate our eyes, nose, and throat. Dust from roads, farms, dry riverbeds, construction sites, and mines are types of PM10.
  • Fine (smaller) particles, called PM2.5, are more dangerous because they can get into the deep parts of your lungs or even into our blood.

Reference

Practice Question:
Air pollution has become a significant environmental and public health issue in India. Discuss the key sources of air pollution in India and its impact on health and the environment. Critically evaluate the measures taken by the Indian government to combat air pollution, including the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) and other initiatives. (250 words)

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