Airpocalypse: Assessment of Air Pollution in Indian Cities

This report shows that deadly air pollution is not a problem restricted to Delhi-NCR (National Capital Region) or even to India’s metros. It is a national problem that is killing 1.2 million Indians every year and costing the economy an estimated 3% of GDP. If the country’s development is important, fighting air pollution has to be a priority. Data gathered by Greenpeace India from state pollution control boards shows that there are virtually no places in India complying with WHO and National Ambient Air Quality (NAAQ) standards, and most cities are critically polluted. Except for a few places in Southern India which complied with NAAQ standards, the entire country is experiencing a public health crisis due to high air pollution levels. Due to the range of different sectors responsible for pollutant emissions, urgent and determined action is needed by a number of ministries in the states and central governments, industry and general public.