CSE analysis finds air in south India just as polluted

HYDERABAD: A new analysis by Delhi-based non-profit Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has shown that air pollution during winters is prevalent in south India. According to the analysis, south India experienced a spike in pollution levels with the onset of winter, even though there was reduction in particulate concentration during lockdown.

The analysis by CSE is part of an air quality tracker initiative following a noticed change in patterns of air quality trends in different regions of the country. It has been designed to understand the impact of the year 2020, that witnessed one of the biggest disruptions. The analysis stated that various smaller towns and cities witnessed a rise in concentration of particulate matter or PM2.5, whereas several bigger cities witnessed reduction, thus reflecting the trend in local and regional build-up of pollution.

A statement in the survey noted that a recent study by Lancet had established that Karnataka has the highest total burden of health costs among southern states. The CSE study also found the average PM2.5 level to be considerably higher in inland cities in comparison to coastal cities in 2020.

Anumita Roychowdhury, Executive Director in-charge of research and advocacy, CSE, said that the analysis threw light on the myth about clearer air in south India as compared to other regions. She mentioned that health impacts are nearly equally bad across the nation. She said that despite the dramatic reduction witnessed during the lockdown, pollution seems to have bounced back across all regions post-lockdown, thus unmasking the high impacts of local and regional pollution.