 "Air quality report: India cuts pollution by 19.3%, life expectancy rises")
India experienced a notable 19.3 per cent reduction in particulate pollution in 2022 compared to 2021, marking the second-largest decline globally after Bangladesh. This decrease is estimated to have added an average of 51 days to the life expectancy of every Indian citizen, according to a recent report.
The "Air Quality Life Index" 2024 report, published by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC), also warned that if India fails to meet the World Health Organisation's (WHO) annual PM2.5 concentration guideline of 5 micrograms per cubic metre, Indians could lose an average of 3.6 years of life expectancy.
The researchers pointed out that the drop in particulate matter levels across India and other South Asian countries was largely due to favourable weather conditions and fewer thermal inversions — events where a warm air layer traps cooler air near the ground, leading to an accumulation of pollutants.
In 2022, India's PM2.5 concentrations were approximately nine micrograms per cubic metre, reflecting a 19.3 per cent reduction from 2021.
Which regions in India saw a decline in pollution?
Significant declines were particularly evident in the districts of Purulia and Bankura in West Bengal, followed by Dhanbad, Purbi, Paschim Singhbhum, Paschim Medinipur, and Bokaro in Jharkhand. Each of these districts saw PM2.5 levels drop by over 20 micrograms per cubic metre.
The report noted that the northern plains, India’s most polluted region, experienced a 17.2 per cent decrease in particulate matter levels in 2022 compared to 2021.
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Despite these improvements, the average resident of the northern plains may still lose about 5.4 years of life expectancy if current pollution levels persist. However, if the reduction in particulate matter continues at the same rate in the coming years, life expectancy in the region could increase by 1.2 years, according to the report.
India’s NCAP programme helping in reducing pollution
The report also indicated that districts participating in India's flagship National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) saw an average 19 per cent reduction in PM2.5 levels, while districts not included in the programme experienced a 16 per cent reduction.
However, except for Dhanbad, none of the districts with the highest reductions in PM2.5 concentrations were covered by the NCAP framework.
Launched in 2019, NCAP is India's first national initiative aimed at setting clean air targets, with an initial goal of reducing particulate pollution by 20-30 per cent by 2024, using 2017 as a baseline. The revised target now aims for a 40 per cent reduction by 2026, with 2019-20 as the base year.
The programme includes 131 non-attainment cities that failed to meet national ambient air quality standards consistently between 2011 and 2015.
"As of 2022, pollution levels in districts with non-attainment cities have decreased by 18.8 per cent relative to 2017, extending life expectancy by 10.8 months for 446.7 million residents in these areas and by four months to India’s national average life expectancy," the report stated.
If India achieves the NCAP targets, residents in non-attainment areas could see an increase in life expectancy by two years compared to 2017, and the national average life expectancy could rise by an additional 7.8 months.
The EPIC team emphasised that in India, where the annual PM2.5 standard is set at 40 micrograms per cubic metre, over 40 per cent of the population is exposed to air exceeding this limit.
Policy innovations helping India tackle air pollution
However, India is taking action through innovative policies. In 2019, Gujarat launched the world's first market for trading particulate pollution permits, resulting in a 20-30 per cent reduction in pollution levels in Surat, with the program expanding to other cities and states.
Such innovative measures show that improving air quality and public health is achievable without significantly hindering economic growth, the researchers noted.
The report also commended India's clean cooking initiative, the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, attributing the decrease in residential sector emissions to the widespread adoption of this scheme.
Additionally, the report attributed the reduction in transport-related emissions to the decreased use of diesel fuel in the transport sector.
Improvement in air quality across South Asia
An unexpected improvement in air quality across South Asia in 2022 contributed to a global decline in pollution, with favourable weather conditions likely playing a role, according to the new report released on Wednesday.
Despite this improvement, the region continues to experience the world’s highest levels of pollution, with residents losing an average of more than 3.5 years of life expectancy, as highlighted in the annual Air Quality Life Index (AQLI).
South Asia saw cleaner air in 2022 compared to the average particulate pollution levels over the past decade, the report highlighted. Between 2012 and 2021, the region's PM2.5 levels averaged 48 μg/m³. In 2022, the levels dropped to 41.4 μg/m³, representing an approximate 14 per cent decline from the decade’s average—a reduction that could potentially lead to a gain of 7.9 months in life expectancy if sustained.
Compared to 2021, PM2.5 levels decreased across all South Asian countries except Sri Lanka. The most significant decline occurred in Bangladesh, where annual PM2.5 concentrations fell by over 15 μg/m³. India and Nepal followed, each recording reductions of approximately 9 μg/m³, while Pakistan saw a decrease of 4 μg/m³.
The report noted that while it is challenging to pinpoint the exact causes of the improved air quality in South Asia in 2022, favourable meteorological conditions, including above-average precipitation and fewer thermal inversions, appear to have amplified the effects of minor emission reductions from the residential and transport sectors in India.