Air Pollution in India: A Public Health Emergency as per the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) Report
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: Environment (Air Pollution, Pollutants like PM2.5, National Ambient Air Quality Standards - NAAQS, International Reports/Indices); Health.
Mains:
General Studies Paper 2 (Health/Governance): Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health; Government policies and interventions.
General Studies Paper 3 (Environment & Economy): Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
Essay: Topics related to Environment, Public Health, and Urbanization.
Key Highlights from the News
Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) 2025 report states that the entire population of India (all of India) breathes air more polluted than the World Health Organization's (WHO) safe limits.
46% of India's population lives in areas that violate India's own, relatively lenient air quality standards (national annual PM2.5 standard).
The report states that air pollution is the greatest external threat reducing human life expectancy.
The Ganga plain region of India, i.e., the northern plains, is the most air-polluted region in the country.
China's significant reduction in air pollution over the past decade through stringent policies is an important lesson for India.
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