Pathways to Achieve National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) in India

The rapid economic growth and steep population increase in India’s urban areas, and the lack of policy measures to control pollution in these regions, are causing public health problems, significant environmental degradation, including of air, water, and land, and increased production of greenhouse gases. Together, these undermine the potential for sustainable socio-economic development of the country, and will particularly have severe implications for the poor. A large share of the Indian population is exposed to pollution levels that do not conform to global and national air quality standards. Globally, Indian cities rank poorly in terms of air pollution. Numerous monitoring sites across India report high concentrations of PM2.5, which exceed the benchmark limit (of 40 μg/m³) suggested by the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). It is estimated that in 2015, more than half the Indian population—about 670 million people—were exposed to ambient PM2.5 concentrations that do not comply with India’s NAAQS. Further, less than one per cent enjoyed air quality that met the global World Health Organization (WHO) benchmark limit of 10 μg/m³. About one-quarter of the population lived in areas where the WHO guideline was exceeded by more than nine times. Exposure to air pollution poses a serious health burden in India. Available health impact assessments suggest that several hundred thousand cases of premature deaths annually are attributable to pollution

Impact of current policies on future air quality and health outcomes in Delhi, India

A key policy challenge in Indian megacities is to curb high concentrations of PM2.5 and mitigate associated adverse health impacts. Using the Greenhouse Gases and Air Pollution Interactions and Synergies (GAINS) model we carry out an integrated analysis of the air quality regulations across different sectors for the city of Delhi. Our findings show that PM2.5 concentrations for Delhi will not reach the recommended national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) even by 2030 under the current policies scenario. Adopting advanced control technologies reduces PM2.5 concentrations by about 60% and all-cause mortality by half in 2030. Climate change mitigation policies significantly reduce greenhouse gases, but have a modest impact on reducing PM2.5 concentrations. Stringent policies to control the net flow of air pollution from trans-boundary sources will play a crucial role in reducing pollution levels in Delhi city. Achieving NAAQS requires a stringent policy portfolio that combines advanced control technologies with a switch to cleaner fuels and the control of trans-boundary pollution

Impact of current policies on future air quality and health outcomes in Delhi, India

A key policy challenge in Indian megacities is to curb high concentrations of PM2.5 and mitigate associated adverse health impacts. Using the Greenhouse Gases and Air Pollution Interactions and Synergies (GAINS) model we carry out an integrated analysis of the air quality regulations across different sectors for the city of Delhi. Our findings show that PM2.5 concentrations for Delhi will not reach the recommended national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) even by 2030 under the current policies scenario. Adopting advanced control technologies reduces PM2.5 concentrations by about 60% and all-cause mortality by half in 2030. Climate change mitigation policies significantly reduce greenhouse gases, but have a modest impact on reducing PM2.5 concentrations. Stringent policies to control the net flow of air pollution from trans-boundary sources will play a crucial role in reducing pollution levels in Delhi city. Achieving NAAQS requires a stringent policy portfolio that combines advanced control technologies with a switch to cleaner fuels and the control of trans-boundary pollution