Question-1:  Air Pollution is one of the major reason for mortality among Indian population. Explain the need for policies to tackle pollution related death in the country.

Answer:  Air Pollution is a process of contamination of air due to the presence of substances in the atmosphere that are harmful to the health of humans and other living organisms.

Different pollution related health concerns

• Cancers
  Pollutants present in air such as lead are Known carcinogens. They can cause cancers in humans, affecting health of population.
• Asthma and bronchitis
  Breathing related health problems such as asthma and bronchitis have grown is high proportion due to pollution in air.
• Blood pressure and cardiac problems
  Health related studies have shown that blood pressure and cardiac problems are caused due to pollutants present in air.

Sources of air Pollution

• Industrial pollutants
  Industrial manufacturing units, coal plants, chemical manufacturing etc emit large amounts of harmful pollutants. They have the potential to create health issues.
• Domestic pollutants
  Domestic pollutants include cooking fuels such as wood and dung cakes release harmful chemicals. Similarly, stubble burning has polluted many cities.
• Vehicular pollutants
  India’s vehicular presence has grown manifold in recent years. Emissions from vehicles such as carbon dioxide and lead can harm health.

Need for creating policies

• Reduce health burden
  India’s disease burden has steadily grown due to rapid urbanization. Both government and private sectors are unable to handle such high burden.
• Increase productivity
  Disease burden has had a major role in decreasing human productivity. By having a plan for addressing such concerns,overall development can be ensured.

Thus, air pollution is indeed a health concern. A long term policy is the need of the hour to tackle pollution related deaths in the country.

Tags: GS 3 ( Environment and Governance)

By – Raghunandan