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Air Quality Index (AQI)- A report by the Expert Sub-committee

Air Quality Index (AQI)- Relevance for UPSC Exam

  • GS Paper 3: Environment- Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation.

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Air Quality Index (AQI)- Context

  • A day after Deepavali, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi, Faridabad, Noida, Gurugram and Ghaziabad shot to over 450 or at the highest level of pollution severity called ‘severe.’

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Air Quality Index (AQI)- Expert sub-committee report

  • Key Findings: The expert sub-committee blamed “Sudden unforeseeable low winds” (and not the firecrackers or stubble burning) as the key cause for the noxious air quality.
    • This expert sub-committee is tasked with recommending pollution control measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
  • Associated Concerns: It chose to ignore a scientific report from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
    • CPCB and IMD report explicitly hold “… crackers, biomass burning and unfavourable weather conditions that brought AQI to severe.”

WHO Global Air Quality Guidelines 2021-Impact on health and key changes

 

Air Quality Index (AQI)- Associated Impact

  • Authority of the Sub-committee: According to the provisions of the GRAP, ‘severe’ air quality can prompt the sub-committee to order-
    • A halt on inbound trucks to Delhi or
    • Odd-even restrictions on cars as well as
    • closure of brick kilns, stone crushers.
  • Steps taken by the sub-committee: It has recommended that-
    • Government and private offices and other establishments reduce vehicle usage by at least 30% (by working from home, carpooling, etc.) and
    • Pollution control implementing agencies to step up their efforts.

National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI)

 

Air Quality Index (AQI)- Key Points

  • About AQI: Air Quality Index (AQI) is a metric that is used for measuring the air quality of a particular area.
  • Objective: Air Quality Index was launched in 2014 with an outline ‘One Number – One Color -One Description’ for the common man to judge the air quality within his vicinity.
  • Development of Air Quality Index (AQI): It has been developed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) with the help of IIT-Kanpur and other experts in the field.
  • Pollutants Monitored by AQI: Air Quality Index (AQI) monitors following eight major air pollutants in the atmosphere namely-
    1. Particulate Matter (PM10)
    2. Particulate Matter (PM2.5)
    3. Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)
    4. Sulphur Dioxide (SO2)
    5. Carbon Monoxide (CO)
    6. Ozone (O3)
    7. Ammonia (NH3)
    8. Lead (Pb)
  • Categorization of Pollution Level: Air Quality Index measures air quality in an area in terms of six categories:
    • Good
    • Satisfactory
    • Moderately Polluted
    • Poor
    • Very Poor and
    • Severe

COP26 Glasgow Summit of UNFCC- India’s Commitments

 

Air Quality Index (AQI)- Categorization based on One Number-One Color -One Description’

  • Weightage of Pollutants is decided as per their impact on the environment and subsequently on human health.
  • Under AQI, a composite number is prepared and single colour is given for the quality of air on a particular day.
  • This is to ensure that common people understand the level of pollution in their vicinity and associated health impact.

 

 Colour  Level of Health Concern  AQI Values
Green Good 0 to 50
Yellow Moderate 51 to 100
Orange Unhealthy for sensitive groups 101 to 150
Red Unhealthy 151 to 200
Purple Very Unhealthy 201 to 300
Maroon Hazardous 301 to 500

 

 

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