Can Air Pollution concern become bigger than Corona?

Air pollution in India is a serious issue with the major sources being fuelwood and biomass burning, fuel adulteration, vehicle emission and traffic congestion. Air pollution is also the main cause of the Asian brown cloud, which is causing the monsoon to be delayed. India is the world's largest consumer of fuelwood, agricultural waste and biomass for energy purposes. Traditional fuel (fuelwood, crop residue and dung cake) dominates domestic energy use in rural India and accounts for about 90% of the total. In urban areas, this traditional fuel constitutes about 24% of the total. Fuelwood, Agri waste and biomass cake burning releases over 165 million tonnes of combustion products into India's indoor and outdoor air every year. These biomass-based household stoves in India are also a leading source of greenhouse emissions contributing to climate change.

Vehicle emissions are another source of air pollution. Vehicle emissions are worsened by fuel adulteration and poor fuel combustion efficiencies from traffic congestion and low density of quality, high-speed road network per 1000 people. In order to reduce air pollution effects, India is introducing hybrid and electric vehicles as per the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles in India scheme. While challenges are slowing down the development cleaner combustion fuels are being used in motor vehicles. As of now, Delhi Transport Corporation is the world's largest operator of CNG bus fleet. Many Indian cities are testing out with cleaner fossil fuels mostly CNG fuel and renewable biofuels such as biodiesel and E85 blended petroleum. In June 2020, the supreme court promised that in order to improve emissions from vehicles all BS4 vehicles will be upgraded to BS6 standards.

The way air-conditioners work could change. Last month, representatives from nearly 200 countries worked on a new environment agreement to regulate the use of hydrofluorocarbons. These chemical compounds are responsible for keeping you cool on hot summer days, in air-conditioners and refrigerators. And even though you might not have heard of them, environmentalists, government officials and scientists say an agreement to limit hydrofluorocarbons represents a significant step in the fight to stave off the worst effects of global warming.

Facts

• Air pollution in India is estimated to cause 527, 700 deaths every year.

• Air pollution is not a recent occurrence. In 1952, the Great Smog of London killed 8000 people.

• 65% of the deaths in Asia and 25% of deaths in India is due to air pollution.

• 80% of lung diseases are caused due to pollution from cars, buses, trucks and other vehicles.

• Inhaling air pollution takes away at least 1-2 years of a typical human life.

• By 2050, 6 million people will die per year due to air pollution.

• During a heavy traffic jam, pollutants outside can seep into your car, making the air inside your car 10 times more polluted than typical city air.

• Indoor air pollution is 2-5 times worse than the air outdoors.

• Deforestation is one of the major causes of air pollution too. With a decreased number of plants and trees to absorb the harmful carbon dioxide emissions for the purpose of photosynthesis, the extent of air pollution increases manifold.

• According to the Lancet journal, air pollution caused by waiting in traffic increases the chances of death caused due to heart attack.

Solutions

• Inhabit uses of Electric vehicles

• Prevent forest and peatland fires through improved forest, land and water management and fire prevention strategies.

• Encourage centralized waste collection with source separation and treatment, including gas utilization.

• Manage agricultural residues, including strict enforcement of bans on open burning.

• Reducing the proportion of using private vehicles

• Use incentives to foster extended use of wind, solar and hydropower for electricity generation and phase out the least efficient plants.

• Encourage intermittent aeration of continuously flooded paddies.

• Ensure full compliance with the Kigali Amendment, aimed at the complete phase-out of Hydrofluorocarbon

• Establish efficient application; for urea also use urease inhibitors and/or substitute with, for example, ammonium nitrate.

• Introduce low-solvent paints for industrial and do-it-yourself applications; leak detection; incineration and recovery.

• Public participation in order to reduce air pollution (citizens and NGOs ).

The solution to air pollution is us; it’s you and me, taking action together.