Air Pollution and Policy actions

Air pollution is the fifth largest killer in the country, according to Global Burden of Disease. Urban air quality data according to the World Health Organization (WHO) reconfirms that India appears among the group of countries with highest particulate matter (PM) levels. Of the 20 most polluted cities in the world, 13 are in India, says the database. Delhi is among the most polluted cities in the world today. The rising trends in population growth and the consequent effects on air quality are evident in the Indian scenario. Over the years, there has been a massive-scale expansion in industries, population density, anthropogenic activities, and the increased use of automobiles has degraded the air quality in India.  

WHY POLICY ACTIONS? 

1) Major Global health challenge to which children are particularly vulnerable. 

2) To reduce air pollution emmisions and exposure to pollution, action is needed at local, national and international levels. 

3) The actions can contribute to achieving multiple other Sustainable Development Goals, including climate change mitigation. 

 

SIGNIFICANCE OF RESEARCH

Air pollution and climate change are closely linked because many of the sources of Green house Gases responsible for climate change are also major sources of air pollution. CLEAN AIR IS A HUMAN RIGHT AND A NECESSARY PRE CONDITION FOR ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE AS WELL AS ACHIEVING MANY SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS.

The continuous degradation of ambient air quality in the urban centres of India demands effective measures to curb air pollution. Though various policy measures are being introduced by the Government of India (GoI) to reduce the vehicular and industrial emissions, the extent to which these measures are implemented is questionable. The lack of infrastructural facilities, inadequacy of financial resources to implement advanced infrastructural innovations, difficulty in relocation of the industries from the urban centres even after mandatory court decisions, and above all, the behavioural patterns among people in accepting the green solutions are some of the crucial impediments on the road to environmental protection that our country seems to be struggling to overcome today. 

In developing countries the implementation of the policies for mitigation of air becomes difficult because initially laws are weak or not applied, secondly the vehicle emission standards are less stringent and coal power stations more prevalent lastly increasing Informal settlements. 

Air pollution problems reflect governance failure because cities transpotation, infrastructure has not kept pace with their growing population. 

The research aims to look into the scope of air pollution, reasons behind the policy failure, initiatives taken by the government, problems in the grounds of air pollution, policies and models of foreign countries and how the citizens and government both being the stakeholders play their respective roles for mitigation of air pollution. The research is for a social impact to look into the awareness among the citizens about the plans, policies and innovations made by the government. 

Everyone has the RIGHT TO BREATHE CLEAN AIR but does everyone care about the air? This research aims to look how we being the citizens pledge to control air pollution.