A Distinct System Needed for Northern India to Tackle Air Pollution Effectively
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During the Diwali season, the first wave of dense smog engulfed Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), extending across the Indo-Gangetic plains of North India. The geographical pattern of pollution made this region — stretching from Delhi and Haryana to Uttar Pradesh — one of the worst affected by poor air quality.
While pollution levels spiked sharply in a short span across Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, the situation in Bihar and West Bengal was comparatively moderate. Yet, the overall air quality across North India remains a matter of serious concern, as experts from the Energy Policy Institute and the Health Effects Institute highlighted in their joint report, the State of Global Air 2025.
According to this report, India continues to rank among the countries with the world’s highest levels of air pollution. In 2023, particulate matter (PM2.5) concentration in northern states was found to be 10 times higher than the global safe limit. The study also reported that in 2023, India witnessed around 1,00,000 premature deaths among children under five and 1.7 million deaths overall due to air pollution, making it the country’s second-largest cause of death after heart disease.
Anugita Raychaudhary, Executive Director of the Centre for Science and Environment, stated that the unique geographical features and population density of the Indo-Gangetic plains make air pollution especially dangerous in this region. Hence, an independent, region-specific framework is needed to combat it effectively. Only then, she emphasized, will people in North India be able to breathe cleaner air.
She added that air pollution has emerged as a public health emergency as well as an economic challenge. The 2024 Global Air Report estimated that air pollution contributed to nearly 54,000 deaths from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases in India, leading to massive productivity losses.
In 2021, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) directed that northern states — including Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar — be treated as a separate air-shed due to their shared meteorological and geographical conditions. The CPCB urged the creation of a special regional strategy for joint air-quality management and pollution mitigation.
Studies reveal that air pollution costs India nearly 3.8% of its GDP annually due to healthcare expenses and lost productivity. In the Indo-Gangetic plains, this burden is even more acute, with states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, and Punjab experiencing some of the country’s worst health impacts.
Furthermore, data from 2021 shows that indoor air pollution, largely from the burning of solid fuels for cooking, remains a significant contributor in rural households — accounting for nearly 48.5% of total particulate matter exposure in some northern states.
Experts believe that to achieve lasting results, North India needs a comprehensive and localized system that addresses region-specific factors such as agricultural residue burning, industrial emissions, vehicular congestion, and household energy sources. Coordinated efforts between central and state governments, scientific institutions, and local communities will be essential to implementing long-term air-quality management solutions.
In conclusion, as pollution levels continue to rise every winter, North India cannot rely solely on national-level initiatives. A dedicated, regionally tailored air management strategy is the need of the hour — one that reflects the unique environmental and demographic realities of the Indo-Gangetic belt and ensures the right to clean air for its millions of residents.
