Gist of Editorials: Death in the Air (The Hindu) | GS – III

Relevance : GS Paper III (Ecology & Environment)

[500 words reduced to 150]


  • Air pollution has killed an estimated 1.24 million people in India in 2017.
  • Extent of air pollution
    • Millions face premature death
    • PM2.5 is at 40 micrograms per cubic metre
  • Paying greater attention to air quality can increase life expectancy by approx. 2 years in worst affected areas.
  • Way forward
    • Sustainable solutions for stubble-burning and use of solid fuels in households
    • Ensure that the machinery to handle agricultural waste is in place and working in Punjab and Haryana
    • A mechanism for rapid collection of farm residues has to be instituted.
    • New approaches to recover value from biomass should be explored.
    • The potential of domestic biogas units, solar cookers and improved biomass cookstoves has to be explored.
    • India’s commitments under the Paris Agreement need to be modified.
    • real-time measurement of pollution should be ensured.
  • Rapid progress on clean air now depends on citizens making it a front-line political issue.

 

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