Air pollution in India: Difference between revisions

[[Air pollution]] in [[India]] is a serious health issue.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://energy.economictimes.indiatimes.com/etanalytics/reports/coal/state-of-global-air-2019/640|title=State of global air 2019|access-date=29 April 2019}}</ref> Of the 30 most polluted cities in the world, 21 were in India in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/25/health/most-polluted-cities-india-pakistan-intl-hnk/index.html|title=21 of the world's 30 cities with the worst air pollution are in India|first=Helen |last=Regan|website=CNN|access-date=2020-02-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newsy.com/stories/21-of-top-30-worst-cities-for-air-pollution-were-in-india/|title=21 Of Top 30 Air Polluted Cities Last Year Were In India|last=Lowry|first=LeeAnne|website=Newsy|language=en|access-date=2020-02-26}}</ref> As per a study based on 2016 data, at least 140 million people in India breathe air that is 10 times or more over the [[World Health Organization|WHO]] safe limit<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ig.ft.com/india-pollution|title=Dirty air: how India became the most polluted country on earth|last1=Bernard|first1=Steven|last2=Kazmin|first2=Amy|date=December 11, 2018|website=ig.ft.com|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-03-04}}</ref> and 13 of the world's 20 cities with the highest annual levels of air pollution are in India.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://factor.niehs.nih.gov/2018/9/feature/3-feature-india/index.htm|title=India's air pollution, health burden get NIEHS attention (Environmental Factor, September 2018)|website=National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences|language=en|access-date=2019-03-04}}</ref> 51% of the pollution is caused by industrial pollution, 27 % by vehicles, 17% by [[Stubble_burning#Stubble_burning_in_India|crop burning]] and 5% by other sources.<ref name=wall1>[https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/want-govt-to-build-1600-km-green-wall-along-aravalli-says-activist-vijaypal-baghel-6182069/ Want govt to build 1600 km green wall along Aravalli], Indian Express, 24 December 2019.</ref> Air pollution contributes to the premature deaths of 2 million Indians every year. Emissions come from vehicles and industry, whereas in rural areas, much of the pollution stems from [[Energy poverty and cooking|biomass burning for cooking]] and keeping warm. In autumn and spring months, large scale crop residue burning in agriculture fields – a cheaper alternative to mechanical tilling – is a major source of smoke, smog and particulate pollution.<ref name=bksha>Badarinath, K. V. S., Kumar Kharol, S., & Rani Sharma, A. (2009), Long-range transport of aerosols from agriculture crop residue burning in Indo-Gangetic Plains—a study using LIDAR, ground measurements and satellite data. Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, 71(1), 112–120</ref><ref name=nasa2012>[http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=79630 Agricultural Fires in India] NASA, United States (2012)</ref><ref>Bob Weinhold , [http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/119-a386/ Fields and Forests in Flames: Vegetation Smoke damages and Human Health], National Institutes of Health</ref> India has a low per capita emissions of [[greenhouse gas]]es but the country as a whole is the third largest greenhouse gas producer after China and the United States.<ref name="iea1">{{cite web|url=http://www.iea.org/co2highlights/co2highlights.pdf|title=CO2 EMISSIONS FROM FUEL COMBUSTION HIGHLIGHTS, 2011 Edition|year=2011|publisher=International Energy Agency, France}}</ref> A 2013 study on non-smokers has found that Indians have 30% weaker lung function than Europeans.<ref name="TOISep2">{{cite news|title = Indians have 30% weaker lungs than Europeans|url = http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/science/Indians-have-30-weaker-lungs-than-Europeans-Study/articleshow/22217540.cms|newspaper = Times of India|date = Sep 2, 2013}}</ref>