Two environmental organizations, CarbonCopy and Respirer Living Sciences, have recently unveiled a new dashboard. This innovative tool offers a comparative analysis of particulate matter (PM) in 122 Indian cities from 2016 to 2018 using a three-year rolling average trend for PM2.5 and PM10 levels. These cities, known as non-attainment cities, failed to meet the national ambient air quality standards under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) for the period 2011-2015. The recent ‘State of Global Air 2020’ report revealed that India suffered the highest exposure to harmful air pollution globally last year.
Understanding Particulate Matter
Particulate matter (PM) refers to a combination of solid particles and liquid droplets suspended in the air. This includes PM10, inhalable particles usually 10 micrometers or smaller, and PM2.5, fine inhalable particles typically 2.5 micrometers or less. These particles can originate directly from certain sources, including construction sites, fields, smokestacks, or fires. However, most PM forms in the atmosphere due to complex reactions of pollutants like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides emitted from power plants, industries, and vehicles.
The Risks of Particulate Matter
Small particles, those less than 10 micrometers in diameter, present the greatest health risks. These can infiltrate deep into the lungs, and some may even enter the bloodstream. Exposure to particle pollution has been linked to various health issues, such as irregular heartbeat, aggravated asthma, reduced lung function, and increased respiratory symptoms like irritation of the airways, coughing, or difficulty breathing.
The National Clean Air Programme
In response to rising pollution levels, the Centre launched the National Clean Air Programme in 2019. This initiative aims to improve air quality in the 122 cities that did not meet the national ambient air quality standards between 2011 and 2015.
Features of the New Dashboard
The new dashboard is based on data from the National Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP) and the Central Pollution Control Board’s National Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Network. This network, established in 1984-85, covers 344 cities/towns in 29 states and six Union Territories. Each NAMP station records approximately 104 observations per year for four pollutants: sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, suspended particulate matter, and respirable suspended particulate matter.
Monitoring Systems in Place
Several other monitoring systems complement the new dashboard, including SAFAR, a system designed to provide near real-time air quality information for India’s major metropolitan areas, and AQI, an easy-to-understand tool that communicates air quality status to the public. The Graded Response Action Plan for Delhi and NCR under different AQI categories has been prepared for implementation.
Significance and Implications of the Dashboard
The new dashboard promises to offer insights into the relationship between air pollution and public health in India. Most health models currently rely on Western data due to the lack of local data. The dashboard will provide a true sense of the disease burden across India, highlighting geographical distribution.
Dashboard Insights on PM2.5 and PM10 Levels
Of the 122 cities, 59 had available PM2.5 data. Noida had the highest levels, followed by Agra, Delhi, Lucknow, Ghaziabad, Muzzaffarpur, Kanpur, Chandigarh, Howrah, and Kolkata. Concerning average PM10 levels across three years, Delhi ranked as the most polluted state, followed by Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh. Maharashtra, with the highest number of non-attainment cities under the NCAP, has experienced deteriorating air quality since 2016.
Moving Forward
The introduction of the new dashboard represents a crucial step in addressing air pollution in India. This tool can help identify the need for more monitoring stations and address data gaps. As the central government seeks to enact new laws to combat regional air pollution, evaluating the existing regulations will be an essential first step towards effective crisis management.