Need to shift to renewable energy, public transport to tackle air pollution challenge: Jairam Ramesh

Jairam Ramesh. File Pic

Asserting that air pollution is one of India's leading public health challenges, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday said cracking down on stubble burning will not suffice and there was a need to re-imagine India's economic and sustainability model, with a large-scale shift to renewable energy, electric vehicles, and public transport.

Ramesh also stressed it is time to redo The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 to reflect the public health consequences of air pollution and also called for a review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards, 2009.

Former environment minister Ramesh cited a report by The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change to flag concerns over air pollution.

"A new report by The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change has revealed some disturbing findings on air pollution in India: A total of 16 lakh deaths in India in 2021 were due to air pollution," he said in a post on X.

Fossil fuels, such as coal and liquid gas, contributed to 38 per cent of these fatalities, he said, citing the report.

In 2022, India contributed 15.8 per cent of the world's consumption-based PM2.5 emissions and 16.9% of the world's production-based PM2.5 emissions, he said.

These are pollution particles that are less than 2.5 micrometres and can directly enter the lungs, Ramesh said.

He said the past few weeks in Delhi have exemplified the challenges we face.

"Between October 16 and October 22, 2024, the PM2.5 average surged from 104 µg / m ³ to a concerning 168 µg / m ³. Yet, stubble burning which has long been blamed for Delhi's pollution crisis has fallen by 51% between 2018 and mid-October 2024 according to data from NASA's Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS)," Ramesh said.

This year, between October 12 and October 21, on average, stubble burning accounted for only 0.92 per cent of the PM2.5 levels in Delhi, he said, citing the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM).

Instead over half of Delhi's PM2.5 pollution came from vehicles, Ramesh pointed out.
Air pollution is one of India's leading public health challenges and should be one of our foremost administrative priorities, he asserted.

"Cracking down on stubble burning as an easy win will not suffice, we need to re-imagine our economic and sustainability model, with a large-scale shift to renewable energy, electric vehicles, and public transport," Ramesh said.

"It is also time to redo The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 to reflect the public health consequences of air pollution. The National Ambient Air Quality Standards, 2009 also need a fresh review," he said.