Gasping for Air: Pollution in India

Due to a combination of industrial pollution, vehicle fumes, crop burning, waste burning, and climate, India has some of the worst air quality in the world. Smog is common in cities, and forces millions of people to wear masks in order to breathe. A 2016 study estimated that at least 140 million people in India breathe air that is 10 times or more over the WHO safe limit. As polluted air is trapped by the Himalayas, it brews over cities. But rural areas are not safe either; farmers burning crops to fertilize their land is a huge contributor to air pollution. 

In addition to the air quality problem, India also suffers from heavy trash pollution. Many areas lack proper trash disposal or recycling facilities. This causes two major problems: poisonous fumes and polluted water supplies. As trash is burned, poisonous fumes are released, which contribute to the bad air quality. Additionally, due to floods during the monsoon season, trash can find its way from streets even from the center of cities into the oceans and streams that millions of people use as a water supply.

Trash covers the banks of the Yamuna River, which runs by the Taj Mahal.

These issues mark India's place among the most polluted countries in the world. According to a 2022 study by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago, in 2019 there were 1.6 million premature deaths in India due to air pollution, and another half a million due to water pollution. The study also found that in 2019, India's average particulate matter concentration (the measure of air pollutants) was 70.3 µg/m³–the highest in the world. 

But pollution in India doesn’t affect everyone equally. A 2020 New York Times investigation compared the levels of pollution two Indian children from the same city, but different socioeconomic backgrounds, were exposed to as they went through their day. They found that the child from the lower income background was exposed to immensely more pollution than the child from the middle class background. 

The discriminatory nature of India’s pollution was also highlighted in an article 2021 articleby the Hindustan Times, which stated: “tThe poor are more vulnerable to ill-effects of pollution than the rich. The richest 10% of the population pollute 10 times as much as the poorest 10%.” The reasons behind the different levels of exposure are varied. People on lower incomes do not have access to air purifiers, air conditioning, or they live in homes that are not well-insulated. They travel on foot or on bikes instead of in air conditioned cars. They attend schools outdoors instead of in air conditioned classrooms. In the evening, many people from lower income backgrounds cook on open fires, which significantly increases the levels of pollution in the evenings. 

Children walking to school in the smog

India’s immense pollution extends its influence far beyond its borders. India’s addition to worldwide pollution levels is largely due to its dependency on coal. According to IOP Science, “India's coal-heavy electricity system is the world's third largest and a major emitter of air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.” Within India, the large majority of the population does not even have access to electricity, but still have to deal with the issues the pollution brings. 

This theme of the rich and powerful selfishly using fossil fuels without facing the consequences applies on a larger scale as well. While countries such as China, USA, Russia, and India produce the largest amount of pollution and use the most fossil fuels, smaller countries that pollute much less have to face the issues of climate change on a more drastic level. For example, the Maldives are at risk of being flooded due to melting ice caps, despite their small population and minimal pollution levels.

With climate change’s toll on the world becoming seemingly worse by the minute, it is easy to feel discouraged about a clean future. However, there are countless ways we can combat climate change and make the world a place where everyone can benefit from clean air and water. One way climate change can be combated is with the implementation of taxes and fees on fossil fuels, in a gradual manner, while also making green energy more affordable and easily accessible.

India has already started to take action against its trash and pollution problems. According to Reuters, Punjab, a major farming location in India, has distributed around 120,000 machines to farmers that destroy crop residue without having to burn it. This, along with efforts from many other organizations and leaders, can help provide the 1.5 billion people living in India with a clean lifestyle, where clean air can be enjoyed by everyone, regardless of how rich or poor they are.

Crop burning is common in India