Air pollution a national crisis: Green bodies

New Delhi, May 12

With four Indian cities figuring in the top seven most polluted cities in the world, green bodies in the country today said air pollution is now a "national crisis" and strict and aggressive action is needed to check it.

Commenting on a new World Health Organisation (WHO) report which ranked Gwalior (2), Allahabad (3), Patna (6) and Raipur (7) in the top seven cities with worst air pollution, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) called for more aggressive and stringent action across all cities to check pollution.

"This indicates that air pollution is now a national crisis and needs strict and aggressive nation-wide action across all cities of India," said Anumita Roychowdhury, CSE's executive director for research and advocacy.

"India urgently needs national air quality planning to ensure that all cities have clean air action plan that are implemented in a time-bound manner to meet clean air target," the CSE said.

On New Delhi being listed 11th in the report after being ranked worst in 2014, the CSE said although the national capital has "arrested and improved" air quality, it still has a "long way to go".

Terming it as "disturbing" that several Indian cities have shown substantial increase in pollution levels since 2014, CSE said that PM2.5 in Allahabad has increased by 92 per cent, in Ludhiana 34 per cent, in Khanna 30 per cent, Kanpur 24 per cent, Agra 20 per cent, Lucknow 18 per cent and Amritsar 17 per cent among others.

CSE analysis of the WHO report, however, said there were lesser number of Indian cities in the list of top 10 and top 20 most polluted cities this year.

While four are in top 10 list as opposed to six last time and 10 are in the top 20 list as opposed to 13 last time, bad news is that several smaller India cities, including Patna, Allahabad, Ludhiana, Gwalior, Kanpur, are more polluted than mega cities and are getting worse.

"This calls for more aggressive and stringent action across all cities of India," CSE said.

Noting that pollution does not recognise political boundaries, Greenpeace India said it has repeatedly called for an "urgent and comprehensive" National Clean Air Action Plan.

"Pollution does not recognise political boundaries, with polluted air travelling across long distances. Air pollution is a national crisis and demands a concerted national action plan in response," said Sunil Dahiya, campaigner, Greenpeace India.

The NGO said that continuing rise of fossil fuel consumption in India along with several other factors, has contributed to an increase in air pollution levels.

"The government needs to make a determined switch to cleaner forms of energy. This is the only way to secure a healthy future for generations to come," Dahiya added. — PTI