Why Is It in News?
- North India and eastern/northern Pakistan experienced an extreme cross-border smog episode in Nov 2024, popularly termed the “2024 India–Pakistan Smog”.
- Delhi and Lahore recorded among the highest AQI readings globally, with “brown clouds” visible in satellite images.
- The episode re-opened debates on regional airshed management, cross-border pollution flows, and South Asia’s anthropogenic emissions crisis.
- Relevance renewed in 2025 as Delhi and Lahore again top global pollution charts.
Relevance
GS-1: Geography & Society
- Transboundary environmental phenomena.
- Urbanisation impacts.
GS-2: Governance
- Inter-governmental coordination, regulatory institutions (CAQM).
- Cross-border environmental diplomacy.
GS-3: Environment
- Air pollution, climate change, anthropogenic emissions.
- Reports: Greenpeace 2023, WHO AQG 2021, UNEP 2023.
- Economic impacts of pollution.
What Was the 2024 India–Pakistan Smog?
- A severe, transboundary pollution event across:
• Eastern & northern Pakistan (esp. Lahore)
• North India (Delhi NCR, Punjab, Haryana, UP) - Visible as brown aerosol clouds in satellite imagery.
- Triggered by a convergence of:
- Low wind speeds → pollutant stagnation
- Post-harvest biomass burning across Punjab–Haryana–Punjab (Pakistan) belt
- Industrial emissions
- Vehicular exhaust accumulation
- Winter inversion layers trapping pollutants
- Winds shifted from Pakistan towards Delhi, worsening Delhi’s AQI.
How Has Air Pollution Become Rampant Across South Asia?
A. Shared Meteorology
- Indo-Gangetic Plain behaves as a single airshed.
- Winter inversion + low dispersion + high humidity increases PM2.5 concentration.
B. High Anthropogenic Emissions
- Pakistan: crop-burning, brick kilns, industrial clusters near Lahore.
- India: vehicles, industries, solid fuel, construction, crop burning.
- Bangladesh: brick kilns, diesel generators, transport.
- Nepal: valley trapping effect in Kathmandu.
C. Rapid Urbanisation + Weak Governance
- Poor public transport, land-use mismanagement, unregulated construction, and old diesel fleets.
D. Climate Change Feedback Loop
- Heatwaves → increased ozone formation.
- Erratic winds → stagnant air pockets.
E. Political–Administrative Fragmentation
- No formal regional clean air treaty despite identical airshed.
What Does the Greenpeace 2023 World Air Quality Report State?
Core Findings for South Asia
- World’s most polluted region, with PM2.5 levels exceeding WHO standards by 7–10 times.
- Key drivers:
- Industrial emissions (steel, cement, brick kilns).
- Vehicular emissions.
- Burning of solid fuels (biomass, crop residue, waste).
- Coal-based power generation.
- Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal dominate list of most polluted countries/cities.
- Notes lack of coordinated regional action despite shared geography.
Economic Impact of Deteriorating AQI Levels in India
A. Direct Economic Loss
- Lancet Journal (2019): India’s GDP fell by 1.36% due to premature morbidity & mortality.
- Other estimates:
- 3% of GDP lost due to healthcare costs + lost labour productivity.
- India loses ~8.5 lakh lives annually from air pollution (IHME data context).
B. Labour Productivity Decline
- Fatigue, respiratory illness → lower work hours.
- Outdoor workforce (construction, transport) hit hardest.
C. Healthcare Burden
- Escalating treatment of asthma, COPD, cardiovascular diseases.
D. Impact on Investment & Tourism
- Pollution deters FDI inflow in key cities.
- Reduced tourist footfall during peak winter season.
E. Agriculture & Climate Impact
- Pollution-induced dim sunlight (global dimming) → reduced crop yields.
- Ozone exposure damages staples: wheat, rice, pulses.
Way Ahead
A. Regional Airshed Governance (Key Recommendation)
- Adopt a South Asian cross-border airshed management framework.
- Model: California’s Bay Area Air Quality Management District or ASEAN Transboundary Haze Agreement.
- IIT Bhubaneswar’s study supports “airshed-scale” governance.
B. Strengthen Domestic Governance
- Move from episodic GRAP responses → to permanent emission-reduction plans.
- Mandate 24×7 industrial monitoring, strict action on non-compliant units.
C. Sectoral Reforms
- Agriculture:
• MSP-linked crop diversification
• In-situ residue management (Happy seeder incentives) - Transport:
• Electrification
• Bus fleet expansion
• Non-motorised mobility - Urban Planning:
• Greening, heat-island mitigation, dust control
• Construction regulation - Energy:
• Phase-down of coal
• Scale rooftop solar + clean cooking fuel
D. Data, Science, Monitoring
- Real-time satellite-based emission tracking.
- Unified Air Quality Data Portal for South Asia.
E. Political Will & Social Model
- A “caring human development model” prioritising health, workers, farmers, and urban poor.
