Most Indian cities, particularly in the north, suffer from poor air quality throughout the year, with pollutant levels often exceeding National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Currently, northern India is enjoying a brief respite due to rainfall, which improves the Air Quality Index (AQI) to “good” or “satisfactory” levels. As the monsoon retreats, the pollution season begins, causing AQI levels to shift from “good” to “severe”.
This transition is especially pronounced in the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP), where stagnant winds, frequent temperature inversions, high humidity, and low boundary-layer height trap pollutants, allowing them to accumulate and spread over large areas.
The IGP, which stretches across northern India from Punjab to West Bengal, is home to dense populations and intense anthropogenic activity, making it vulnerable to air quality degradation. Along with the perennial air pollution sources, stubble burning in states like Punjab and Haryana spikes pollutant levels in the winter. In Haryana, the air quality in most of its cities stays in the poor category in the first half of the year, reducing life expectancy by many years. Sadly, it is not part of the ongoing assembly election campaign’s issues.
Way forward
Cities with non-compliance to NAAQS are widespread across IGP states rather than being limited to specific states, emphasising the need for an airshed approach. An airshed-based approach enables coordinated efforts across states and regions, tackling pollution at its source and mitigating transboundary impacts. It ensures a more holistic management of air quality, addressing the shared challenges of multiple cities under a unified strategy.
To manage this effectively, revision of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) must include an institutional framework with comprehensive authority to coordinate states, municipalities and agencies. This framework should enable integrated policies addressing all pollution sources, promote advanced air quality monitoring, facilitate transparent data sharing, and establish strict accountability and enforcement measures to achieve NCAP standards across the airshed.
Manoj Kumar
Analyst, Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air