युवा आवेग

According to the World Air Quality Report 2024, 14 of the 20 most polluted cities in the world are in India.The tiny particles that enter the lungs deeply, known as 5 concentrations, frequently surpass acceptable levels by 5–10 times. The financial burden is enormous: India loses around $100 billion a year due to lost productivity and medical costs as a result of air pollution.

Only modest progress has been made with traditional pollution control measures including industrial emission standards, agricultural burning limits, and vehicle prohibitions. The intricacy of urban pollution necessitates a more technologically advanced, integrated strategy.

The Smart Cities Mission (SCM), which was introduced in 2015, aimed to modernise 100 Indian cities by enhancing governance, sustainability, and digital infrastructure. One of its most important areas of concentration now is air quality management. In order to identify and lower emissions, smart city initiatives increasingly use data analytics, real-time air quality monitoring, and citizen interaction platforms.

For example, IoT-based air sensors have been placed at key locations in Pune, Surat, and Indore to track pollution patterns at the hyperlocal level. These data points are fed into Integrated Command and Control Centres (ICCCs), which use real-time environmental data to coordinate emergency response, waste collection, and traffic management.

AI-driven pollution forecasting has been implemented in cities like Varanasi and Bhopal, assisting authorities in maximising traffic flow and issuing early warnings. Drones are being used to detect unlawful rubbish burning and monitor industrial areas. In the meantime, macro-level insights into patterns of pollution distribution are provided by ISRO and NASA satellite data.

In tandem with smart city initiatives, the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), which was introduced in 2019, aims to reduce PM levels by 40% by 2026. With customised local strategies, more than 130 cities are currently creating Clean Air Action Plans (CAAPs).

Up to 30% of urban air pollution is caused by transport, and smart mobility is quickly emerging as a key component of clean-air campaigns. Cities like Bengaluru, Kochi, and Ahmedabad are encouraging non-motorized transportation, building EV charging stations, and growing their fleets of electric buses. Congestion and pollution are being decreased by the combination of smart traffic lights, public bike sharing, and metro systems.

Another area of concentration is urban greening. Large-scale urban forest projects and green belts that serve as organic air filters have been established in Chandigarh and Indore. Under the SCM, vertical greenery and rooftop gardens are now included in city design rules.

People are at the heart of smart cities, not just sensors and data. Citizens can report local pollution sources and monitor air quality using mobile apps like Sameer (CPCB) and Clean Air India Movement. From garbage segregation to carpooling and solar energy adoption, educational programs promote sustainable behaviour.

Schoolchildren in Surat take part in "Clean Air Clubs," where they learn how minor actions like riding a bike to school or planting trees can help achieve more significant environmental objectives. These citizen-led initiatives generate momentum outside of official initiatives and establish accountability.

Collaboration is the foundation of India's clean air success stories. The larger framework of urban climate resilience currently encompasses the NCAP, Smart Cities Mission, and AMRUT 2.0. Initiatives to manage air quality and promote sustainable urban mobility, especially in Tier-2 cities, are being funded by the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank.

Nevertheless, obstacles still exist: uneven data quality, a lack of enforcement capability, and problems with interagency collaboration all impede advancement. According to experts, clean-air initiatives need to transition from pilot programs to systemic change, incorporating air quality into all decisions about urban policy, from trash management to building standards.

Scaling up what works is essential to India's clean-air quest going forward. It is crucial to enforce emission rules, encourage clean companies, and grow the network of air-quality sensors. Cities need to transition to "climate-smart governance," in which the carbon and pollution impact of every infrastructure choice is taken into account.

Clean air will be crucial for both comfort and survival as India increasingly urbanises, with an estimated 600 million people living in cities by 2036. The Smart communities Mission has demonstrated how technology can improve the health and liveability of communities when it is governed by laws and citizen participation.

In Indian cities, breathing better air is now a reality thanks to a data-driven, citizen-powered revolution.