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AQI

India's National Air Quality Index (NAQI) aims to provide real-time air quality data to inform citizens about pollution levels and their health impacts. However, it lacks effective measures to reduce peak pollution levels and does not meet WHO standards for particulate matter. Recommendations for improvement include enhancing public transportation, implementing congestion charges, promoting cycling, and incentivizing solar energy use.

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2 views1 page

AQI

India's National Air Quality Index (NAQI) aims to provide real-time air quality data to inform citizens about pollution levels and their health impacts. However, it lacks effective measures to reduce peak pollution levels and does not meet WHO standards for particulate matter. Recommendations for improvement include enhancing public transportation, implementing congestion charges, promoting cycling, and incentivizing solar energy use.

Uploaded by

mhtmnnit123
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© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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04/11/2016 OneNote Online

Air Quality Index


06 February 2016 22:18

India recently launched National Air Quality Index to provide real


time data on air quality in some of India’s bigger cities. Write a
critical note on this policy initiative and examine if anything more
needs to be done to tackle air pollution in Indian cities. (200 Words)

The idea behind the National Air Quality Index (NAQI) is to put out real time
data about the levels of pollutants in the air and inform people about the possible
impacts on health. NAQI takes multiple data on pollution collected by the CPCB
and SPCBs and presents it in a colour coded scale simplifying the understanding
of pollution levels. This initiative is a welcome move especially in light of the
recently concluded WHO study according to which Delhi is the most polluted city
in the world.

However, the NAQI by itself is simply not enough in the fight to bring down
pollution levels in the country which are known to reduce the lifespan of an
average citizen by 3.2 years. India’s AQI, unlike those of other countries, does not
have a mechanism in place to bring down peak pollution levels. For e.g., in
Beijing, government puts into motion measures such as closing down school,
imposing a cap on the number of vehicles allowed on roads and closing down
polluting industries when the warning signal for severe pollution is issued.

Further, NAQI falls short of the standards set by the WHO. For e.g., India's
tolerance level for 2.5 PM is 50 mcg per cubic metre whereas the international
standard is only 40 mcg per cubic metre.

In addition to rectifying the above mentioned drawbacks of the NAQI, following


are some suggestions, which if implemented can go a long way in reducing
pollution:
• improving public rail and bus transportation system;
• imposing a congestion charge on vehicles, which could be used to fund
investment in public transport system;
• encouraging the use of bicycles by creating dedicated cyclist friendly
corridors;
• incentivising the use of roof top solar panels, which will help reduce our
dependence on coal fired power plants;

[Link] 1/1

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