A recent report by Greenpeace India sounded an alarm over fast deteriorating air quality across several major cities in southern India, a serious cause for public health concerns. Titled “Spare the Air 2,” the report analyzed the levels of particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) in 10 southern cities, finding that air pollution levels grossly exceed the air quality guidelines issued by the World Health Organization (WHO). This exponential rise has also raised concerns over health consequences due to air pollution.
Rising Air Pollution in South Indian Cities
The report examined air quality in cities such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Kochi, Mangaluru, Amaravati, Vijayawada, Mysuru, and Puducherry. It noted that three major Karnataka cities-Bengaluru, Mangaluru, and Mysuru-have witnessed deteriorating air quality over the years with increased particulate matter level.
PM2.5 is a term used to describe fine particulate matter that is 2.5 micrometers or smaller in diameter and suspended in the air. These particles can be extremely damaging because they reach far into the lungs and even into the bloodstream, where they can cause a wide range of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. PM10 includes particles with diameters less than or equal to 10 micrometers; these are also very harmful to health, particularly among the more vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly, and those with pre-existing diseases.
A report by Greenpeace pegs the continuing deterioration of air quality in southern Indian cities to well over the revised WHO air quality guidelines. The WHO recommends that the annual average for PM2.5 not exceed 5 micrograms per cubic meter, while the corresponding level for PM10 should remain less than 15 micrograms per cubic meter. In contrast, the report found many cities recording PM2.5 levels six to seven times higher than these recommendations.
Key Highlights of the Report The annual average level of particulate matter exceed the WHO guidelines by six-seven times in cities like Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Kochi, Mangaluru, Amaravati and Chennai. Cities such as Bengaluru, Puducherry and Mysuru show PM10 levels that are four to five times higher than recommended limits.
Lead Author of the report Akanksha Singh said, “While the efforts are focused on cities that do not meet the national air quality standards, technically complying cities also have to be monitored.” “Clean air is essential to our health, but this report shows that the levels of particulate matter in all cities have exceeded the revised WHO guidelines,” she said.
The conclusion calls for urgent action required to arrest the further slide of these cities into non-compliance with both national and global air quality standards.
Call to Revision of National Ambient Air Quality Standards
One of the major recommendations of the Greenpeace report is revising the NAAQS by the Central Pollution Control Board. This should be a health-based approach that would therefore incorporate the latest scientific guidelines on which WHO’s standards are based. Revision of the NAAQS would make India focus on fresh benchmarks of air quality standards with a thrust on maintaining public health.
Greenpeace India’s campaigner, Selomi Garnaik, reiterated the call for regional specificity in air quality management. “Given the pollution profile and climatic conditions vary between southern cities, region-specific air quality standards have to be set and aligned with local airshed management,” she said. A localized approach would mean more effective actions on air pollution management, including protection of public health in this region.
Region-Specific Solutions and Monitoring
This also calls for a more region-specific approach towards combating air pollution in southern India, given the different physiographic and climatic characteristics. For instance, levels of pollution may be remarkably different between coastal cities such as Mangaluru compared to inland cities like Bengaluru.
One of the recommendations of the report is the creation of a “hybrid” air quality monitoring network that will allow residents easy access to air quality information in real-time, enabling them to make informed decisions in daily activities and personal health.
It also advocates that local governments promote renewable energy solutions in the areas of solar power and electric vehicles to reduce dependence on fossil fuel. It suggests mapping sectoral hotspot zones where pollution is most concentrated and developing specific action plans for the targeted hotspot zones regarding pollution control.
Long-Term Strategy towards Cleaner Air
Greenpeace India Campaign Manager Avinash Chanchal said an effective long-term strategy was urgently needed for pockets of southern cities that were facing air pollution. “These findings from the report clearly debunk the myth of the southern states having cleaner air. This report should serve as a wake-up call for the governments of southern cities,” said Chanchal. He added that comprehensive policies covering all major pollution sources-like vehicle emissions, power plants, and industrial and construction activities-were urgently needed.
The Greenpeace report certainly puts into perspective the fact that air pollution is not limited to northern Indian cities like Delhi, in whose headlines smog and poor air quality have been hanging for long. Southern Indian cities, once perceived as having cleaner air, face an emerging public health crisis compelled by air pollution.
Conclusion
Spare the Air 2″ thus serves as a severe warning for the southerly deteriorating air quality in Indian cities. Though very far from WHO guidelines, the levels of PM2.5 and PM10 require immediate action to safeguard public health and prevent further environmental deterioration. Revision of air quality standards is thus region-specific mitigatory measures and clean energy solutions are the three broad areas in which the governments of southern Indian cities need to take action to ensure a healthier and more sustainable future for their citizens.
Source: Greenpeace India