World Air Quality Report, 2023

World Air Quality Report, 2023

GS-3: Biodiversity & Environmental Conservation

(UPSC/State PSC)

Important for Prelims:

World Air Quality (IQAir) Report-2023, About Particulate Matter (PM), Air Pollution, Development of System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), Turbo Happy Seeder (THS) Machine, Graded Response Action Plan, Smog Tower, National Clean Air Program (NCAP), BS-VI vehicles, Dashboard for monitoring air quality, Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act-1981, Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY).

Important for Mains:

Major points of World Air Quality Report-2023, Causes and Impacts of Air pollution, Way forward.

20/03/2024

Why in news:

Recently, the Swiss air quality monitoring body has released the World Air Quality (IQAir) Report, 2023.

World Air Quality Report, 2023

Key points:

  • The data mentioned in this report is taken from more than 30,000 air quality monitoring stations at 7,812 locations in 134 countries.

India's situation:

  • According to 'World Air Quality Report, Year 2023'-
    • In the year 2023, India is the third most polluted country out of 134 countries.
    • With an average annual PM2.5 concentration of 54.4 micrograms per cubic meter, India has the third worst air quality among 134 countries in the year 2023, after Bangladesh (79.9 micrograms per cubic meter) and Pakistan (73.7 micrograms per cubic meter).
    • In the year 2022, India was the 8th most polluted country with an average PM2.5 concentration of 53.3 micrograms per cubic metre.
    • According to this report, 42 Indian cities are included in the list of top 50 most polluted cities in the world.
    • In this report, Begusarai of Bihar is the most polluted metropolitan area of the year 2023. After this there is Guwahati and Delhi.
    • Delhi has once again been declared the most polluted capital of the world.
    • Other Indian cities in the list of top 50 most polluted cities in the world: Greater Noida(11), Muzaffarnagar(16), Gurgaon(17), Arrah(18), Dadri(19), Patna(20), Faridabad (25), Noida(26), Meerut (28), Ghaziabad(35), Rohtak(47).

Global scenario in Air pollution:

  • The top 5 most polluted countries in the world in the year 2023 include: Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Tajikistan, Burkina Faso.
  • 7 countries in the world that meet WHO's annual PM2.5 guideline (annual average 5 µg/m3 or less): Australia, Estonia, Finland, Grenada, Iceland, Mauritius, New Zealand.
  • According to WHO's annual PM2.5 Guidelines report, Africa remains the most under-represented continent.
  • One-third of the population here still does not have access to air quality data.
  • For the first time in this report, Canada has emerged as the most polluted country in North America.

Danger of air pollution:

  • According to WHO report, every year about 70 lakh people in the world die prematurely due to air pollution.

About Particulate Matter (PM):

  • These are particles present in small solid or liquid form, which enter the human body through breath.

PM10:

  • These are very small dust like particles.

PM 2.5:

  • It is a type of atmospheric particle, whose diameter is less than 2.5 micrometers or about 3 percent of the diameter of a human hair.
  • These particles are so small that they can penetrate deep into the lungs and even enter the bloodstream.
  • It is responsible for many diseases including asthma, cancer, stroke and lung disease due to air pollution.

Causes and Impacts of Air Pollution:

Regional Factories:

  • Surveys show that in many states of the country, there are factories manufacturing urea, ammonia, zinc sulphate and pesticides, from whose chimneys various types of poisonous gases come out, which badly spoils the environment.
  • There are huge factories for manufacturing urea in Phulpur and Amla. People are facing many problems due to poisonous water and gas released from these factories.
  • Eye and respiratory diseases are common among the workers of Mumbai, Ludhiana, Surat, Kolkata and many other textile mills of the country.
  • There are big cement factories in Satna, Banmore, Kaimor, Gopalnagar and Jamul of Madhya Pradesh. Kaimur has the country's largest cement factory. Dust keeps flying round the clock from this and other cement factories.
  • Apart from toxic particles of dust, poisonous gases like carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide come out from their chimneys. Due to these, apart from asthma and TB, the amount of hemoglobin in the blood decreases.
  • 24 percent of the pollution in the capital Delhi occurs through factories. Apart from this, poisonous gases are emitted from hundreds of factories in the capital region Faridabad, Gurugram and Noida.
  • Due to increase in the amount of nitrogen, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and other poisonous gases within a radius of 100 kilometers, eye, nose, brain, lungs, throat, intestine and digestive diseases usually occur.

Increasing amount of waste materials in rivers:

  • Many rivers flowing in Bihar and Hooghly river in Kolkata have become so polluted due to the effluents of more than 150 leather, cloth, paper, jute, liquor and other modern industries that touching it with hand feels like invoking disease.
  • Similarly, the Sarisawa river dividing India and Nepal has become highly polluted due to the effluents released from the industries of Nepal. It is noteworthy that Sarisawa River had remained a means of livelihood for more than a hundred villages for centuries. But now it has become a cause of death due to poisonous water and effluents released from tanneries, liquor factories and sugar mills.
  • In the last 25 years, more than ten thousand animals have died due to consumption of its poisonous water. This has happened due to water pollution.
  • According to the Ganga Pollution Prevention Committee, 480 km stretch of this 2033 km long historical river has become badly polluted due to continuous accumulation of effluents and residuals from industries.
  • Krishna, Kaveri, Godavari, Narmada, Tapti, Bhima, Sabarmati and Yamuna are also badly polluted due to effluents released from industries.
  • Chaliyar river of Kerala has become so polluted due to the toxic water released from the rayon factory that its water is no longer fit for any use.

Increase in the amount of Benzene Carcinogen in Delhi:

  • Among the problems of pollution, air and water pollution are affecting humans the most. If we talk about poisonous gases dissolved in the air, the amount of benzene carcinogen in Delhi has increased by three to nine times.
  • This is a dangerous level of benzene. According to scientists, due to this, cancer cases are increasing day by day in Delhi.

Electric Thermal Plants:

  • Similarly, in Bihar and Jharkhand, more than 30 thousand people die every year due to poisonous gases emitted from electric heating houses.
  • Every year thousands of people die due to respiratory diseases and cancer in Delhi, Haryana and Andhra Pradesh. In Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand, thousands of people die due to various respiratory diseases due to the gases emitted from lime kilns.

Major initiatives of the Government of India to control air pollution:

  • In accordance with the resolutions set in the Paris Climate Agreement held in 2015, India is continuously making efforts for environmental protection and promotion. India is the only country among the G20 countries, which is complying with this agreement.
  • Release of Air Quality Index (AQI).
  • Formation of Air Quality Management Commission.
  • Development of System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR).
  • Management of Turbo Happy Seeder (THS) Machine.
  • Graded Response Action Plan (Delhi)
  • Smog Tower
  • National Clean Air Program (NCAP)
  • BS-VI vehicles
  • Dashboard for monitoring air quality
  • Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981
  • Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY)

Way forward:

  • There is a need for awareness and planning to protect the environment. Proper planning, management and development strategies can help protect the environment.
  • To get rid of the problems caused by pollution, the central and state governments have taken steps to get rid of it at their level.
  • Common people should be made aware about the steps taken by the Central Government to get rid of air and water pollution and the factors polluting the environment.
  • There is a need that we should minimize the use of polluting factors in our own interest and environment and also make others aware about it. This means that the increasing environmental problems will have to be taken very seriously. Only then our environment will be safe and we will also be safe.

Source: Jansatta, Indian Express

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Mains Question:

Discuss the main points of the World Air Quality Report-2023.

Write your arguments to resolve increasing pollution and its effects.