Many cities in the country are polluted due to residential areas.
Not just Delhi-NCR but many large and small cities in the country are also facing the brunt of pollution. Two different studies on the causes of pollution suggest that urban housing also contributes significantly to increased pollution. According to these studies, urban housing is an important contributor to the deterioration of urban air quality, along with sectors such as transportation and the electricity sector.
The results were reached by investigating the sources of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) in urban areas and emissions from household fuels in a research paper published last month in a leading scientific journal. One of the research papers is related to a modeling study conducted by the Indian Institute of Tropical Metrology (IITM) and IIT Roorkee, Pune.
Traffic ruins Delhi’s air
About his study, IITM scientist Rajmal Jat told TOI: “In our study, we found that residential emission levels dominated PM 2.5 pollution in 29 cities in the country, including Srinagar, Kanpur and Prayagraj “Traffic is the most important factor in the deterioration of air quality in nine cities including Delhi, with vehicle smog accounting for 55% of PM 2.5 pollution.”
In a second study, Berhampur University in Odisha and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bangalore prepared a high-resolution emissions inventory for the base year 2020, which tracks vehicle exhaust emissions as nitrogen oxides Contribution to the air in the form of NOx and volatile organic compounds. organic compounds (VOCs), while residential activities emit more carbon monoxide (CO).
Air quality study in 53 cities
This conclusion comes from research by IITM and IIT Roorkee. An analysis of PM 2.5 air pollution levels in 53 cities showed that a large proportion of emissions are caused by residential fuel use and vehicle exhaust.
The Berhampur University-IISc study analyzed emissions data from four years ago, while the IITM-IIT model of its study looked at regional contribution by simulating 2015-16. Scientists involved in the study said the findings remain relevant. While absolute emission levels may change over time, the sources of pollution in many cities are unlikely to change significantly.
Contribution of Kanpur and Varanasi “Ghar”
In an interview with the Times of India, scientist Jat said, “In cities in the northern region, transportation has become an important contributor to PM2.5 pollution levels, accounting for more than half of Delhi’s emissions, Amritsar, Ludia 38% in cities such as Namibia and Amritsar.” Ghaziabad accounts for 47%. While in cities like Srinagar (68%), Kanpur and Varanasi, the residential sector remains at the forefront of pollution, with air quality deteriorating due to household activities. “
In western India, industrial areas are the biggest cause of pollution in parts of Ahmedabad and Vasaivilar, while Surat, Nashik and Nagpur are energy-dominated. For example, in Ahmedabad and Greater Mumbai, the industrial sector accounts for about half of PM2.5 pollution, while in Nashik and Surat, the energy sector remains the main source of pollution (38-44%).
Overall, the residential sector is the largest contributor to pollution in 13 cities in western and southern India; industry is the main contributor in 8 cities and the energy sector is the main contributor in 4 cities. Jat said, “Pune is one of the cities in western India where the industrial sector contributes the most to PM 2.5 pollution. Industry contributes about 39% to PM 2.5 pollution in Pune, while the residential sector emerges as the second largest contributor with 27% ”
5 states most responsible for NOx
Professor Gufran Baig, director of IISc National Institute for Advanced Study, said that according to the study, which is based on 2020 data, only five states in the country account for 40% of nitrogen oxide emissions. Among them, Uttar Pradesh is the largest emitter, accounting for 10.5% of emissions. This is followed by Maharashtra (9.7%) and Tamil Nadu (7.2%).
The IISc study also estimated how many pollutants play a significant role in India’s pollution every year. Carbon monoxide (CO) is 45 teragrams (Tg); NOx is 22.8 Tg, volatile organic compounds (VOC) is 10.8 Tg, and sulfur dioxide (SO2) is 15.1 Tg.
