CEM - Abstract

Abstract Information :

India is home to 35 most polluted cities in the world, as stated in the report World Air Quality released by the Swiss organization IQ air in 2023. The major challenge in managing air pollution in India is that the source of air pollution is not specific to any jurisdiction or sector. Therefore, it is difficult to identify the route of air pollution. Air pollution in India, especially in metropolitan cities, is causing a high impact on human health. One in eight deaths in India in 2017 is attributed to air pollution, according to studies conducted by the Disease Burden India led by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI). Lack of finance, advanced infrastructure, public interest and awareness of air quality management are the real roadblocks to environmental protection. Viewing the various problems related to air pollution, the Paytm foundation supported UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) in launching the Air Quality Action Forum in December 2021. Under AQAF,120+ stakeholders across sectors such as Ministries, government agencies, philanthropies and NGOs and research agencies have been engaged to discuss the gaps, challenges and need for a stringent air quality management system with the specific solutions in implementing the National Clean Air Programme. Further, eight roundtable discussions with stakeholders were held to manage air quality in India in the Year 2022. The focus of these discussions revolved around the following five pillars – Science, Technology, Capacity building, Outreach activities, Finance and Policy. The major outcome of the Forum was the Need Assessment Report which was launched in 2023 jointly by Paytm Foundation, UNEP and CERCA (Center of Excellence for research in Climate change and Air Pollution) comprising the challenges and recommendations related to the five pillars. The need assessment report focuses on the concerns specific to India, such as the lack of emission inventories, monitoring system for real-time data, scarcity of resources, need for adequate policies, etc. This project also helped to raise awareness among the general public on concerns arising because of air pollution and the need for individual and community-level action for clean air. We have reached around 3 million people through the outreach events organized in the year 2022. Vijay Shekhar Sharma, CEO of Paytm, as a patron of Clean Air, promotes citizen action for better air quality. He strongly believes that it is important to protect the environment to achieve economic growth. Through this Project, Paytm Foundation intends to involve government agencies, individuals and communities to take conscious action to mitigate air pollution by incorporating the various solutions proposed in the Need Assessment Report. The Need Assessment Report includes solutions such as strengthening infrastructure and technology, capacity building of regulatory agencies involved in monitoring and evaluation, designing manuals which are state-specific and developing design support system to take conscious actions to manage air quality.