Air Quality Archives

Paryavaran Utsav 2024: Dhanbad’s 90-Day Clean Air Engagement Programme Report

The Paryavaran Utsav 2024 report highlights Dhanbad Nagar Nigam’s three-month citizen-led campaign to build awareness, educate communities, and inspire collective action for clean air. Spanning from World Environment Day to the International Day for Clean Air and Blue Skies, the programme engaged thousands of students, civil society groups, and residents through workshops, art competitions, community dialogues, street plays, and the Vayu Mitra volunteer initiative. The report captures how this large-scale effort deepened public participation and strengthened Dhanbad’s commitment to improving air quality under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).

Paryavaran Utsav 2023: Dhanbad’s 45-Day Clean Air Awareness Campaign Report

Paryavaran Utsav 2023 was a 45-day public outreach campaign led by the Dhanbad Municipal Corporation in collaboration with Clean Air Jharkhand and Asar. The initiative aimed to build public awareness on air pollution and encourage community participation for cleaner air. Through school competitions, community dialogues, social media campaigns, and the “Vayu Mitra” citizen volunteer programme, the campaign reached thousands of people across Dhanbad. This report captures the activities, outcomes, and the growing momentum toward collective action for clean air and healthier communities.

A month in my life: A Community-Led Approach -Understanding Risks and Implications of Air Pollution

A Month in My Life: A Community-Led Approach – Understanding Risks and Implications of Air Pollution explores the alarming state of air quality in Jamshedpur, one of India’s major industrial cities. Through a community-driven citizen science initiative, the report documents daily exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) using handheld air quality monitors. Conducted by local youth volunteers known as Vayu Veers, the study combines real-time data with personal narratives to reveal how air pollution affects health, livelihoods, and everyday life in the steel city.

The findings highlight pollution levels up to 10 times higher than national standards, uncovering severe health implications and urgent environmental risks. By centring local voices and lived experiences, this report provides a holistic view of Jamshedpur’s air quality crisis and calls for immediate, evidence-based interventions to protect public health. It serves as a valuable resource for policymakers, researchers, and citizens seeking to understand and address India’s growing air pollution challenge.

Choking on Toxic Smoke: The Brahmapuram Garbage Disaster in Kochi and Municipal Solid Waste Management in Kerala

By M. Suchitra & C. Surendranath

In March 2023, a fire broke out in the legacy waste mounds at Kochi’s Brahmapuram plant, burning for 12 consecutive days and shrouding the city in hazardous smoke. Fuelled by nearly 800,000 tonnes of accumulated waste, the incident laid bare the deep-rooted structural flaws in municipal solid waste management – both in Kerala and across India.

This report investigates the systemic failures, governance gaps and environmental risks revealed by the Brahmapuram disaster. Drawing on field insights and data, the authors unpack the larger implications for urban waste practices across the state. The report also outlines actionable recommendations – ranging from policy and institutional reforms to decentralised and community-led solutions – to help reimagine a cleaner, safer and more resilient waste management future.

Improving Air Quality Through Sustainable Mining – Compliance and Performance Assessment in Dhanbad’s Coal Sector

Air pollution has become a significant environmental and public health issue in India, particularly in urban centres. Key contributors to this growing crisis include industrial, vehicular and dust emissions from coal mining activities. The main emissions contributing to air pollution include particulate matter (PM), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and carbon dioxide (CO2).

Health Matters: Air Pollution & its Impacts

Air pollution has become a matter of serious concern in many parts of the country, with Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand, being no exception to the problem of air pollution, especially in its urban centers. The data from the Global Burden of Disease shows that about 17% of the total deaths in Jharkhand in 2019 were attributed to air pollution. The top five risk factors for mortality in the state in 2019 were air pollution, high blood pressure, unsafe water and poor sanitation, high blood sugar, and a poor diet. It is important to point out that air pollution is not only considered the world’s biggest environmental health threat, where it causes and exacerbates many diseases ranging from asthma to cancer, pulmonary diseases, and heart disease but now it is considered a serious threat for the quality of our life and possibly its survival.

Given the complex nature of the problem with its multiplicity of sources and effects, it is clear that there
is no “silver bullet” solution. Addressing this problem will require a multi-sectoral approach, driven by environmental and health data, science & evidence, and a proper strategy. Realizing the seriousness of the problems, the Government of India launched the National Clean Air Program (NCAP) in the year 2019, under which city-specific clean air action plans have been prepared for the prevention and control of air pollution. Ranchi has been selected as one of the million-plus cities under the Fifteenth Finance Commission (XV-FC) and an action plan has been prepared for the city with defined mitigation measures to control pollution from all sources. The formulation and implementation of an action plan is
important because improving air quality through emission reduction and stricter air quality regulations is the most effective strategy. Effective policies to reduce emissions at the source is clearly preferable but plenty of evidence also supports the importance of preventive measures and risk reduction because of the fact that air pollution will remain a reality for a few years even if the mitigation measures are being implemented efficiently.

With this background, the convening “Health Matters – Air Pollution and its Impacts” was organized to discuss and deliberate on the linkage between polluted air and the deteriorating health of people in
the state. The discussion focused on risk reduction and preventive measures for air pollution. It also provided a forum to discuss the effects of air quality on health and share experiences, needs, and concerns. A more practical and participatory approach was expressed as the need to achieve clean air with health at the forefront.

Air Pollution Work in Maharashtra: August 2019 – August 2020

This report provides a comprehensive overview of Asar’s engagement and impact across various thematic and regional interventions, reflecting the organization’s mission to enable climate justice and environmental accountability through collaborative, data-driven, and grounded approaches.

Over the past cycle, Asar has prioritized building bridges between grassroots communities, regional actors, and policy platforms. A key achievement has been the establishment and strengthening of Communities of Practice (CoPs) in multiple geographies, fostering locally rooted climate action. These CoPs have facilitated mutual learning, collective problem-solving, and sustained advocacy on issues ranging from air pollution and climate education to ecological commons and just transitions.

Asar’s role in nurturing regional media networks and communication collectives has enabled the mainstreaming of climate narratives in languages and formats that resonate with local populations. Through workshops, capacity building, and narrative campaigns, the organization has supported journalists, content creators, and influencers in amplifying stories from the ground. Strategic use of arts, culture, and digital media has further expanded the reach and impact of these efforts.

The report also highlights Asar’s contributions to policy engagements—especially at the subnational level—where it has played a convening and knowledge-bridging role. It documents key wins in influencing state action plans, supporting climate-resilient livelihoods, and catalyzing public discourse on topics like air quality, energy transitions, and climate-induced migration.

Finally, internal learnings and feedback loops have been integral to Asar’s work, with a consistent emphasis on reflection, iteration, and community-led evaluation. This report underscores the importance of decentralization, inclusion, and long-term relationship-building in advancing meaningful and equitable climate action.

Asar remains committed to evolving its model, deepening partnerships, and scaling what works—so that climate solutions emerge not just from boardrooms, but from the collective wisdom of the communities most affected.

Lest We Forget: A Status Report of Neglect of Coal ash Accidents in India

Coal ash, a toxic byproduct of coal-fired power generation, remains one of the most neglected yet damaging forms of industrial pollution in India. Despite a series of high-profile breaches in recent years, the scale of damage, regulatory inaction, and lack of transparency persist. This report documents eight fly ash-related accidents between August 2019 and May 2021, involving thermal power plants across seven states—including Essar, Vindhyachal, Sasan, Anpara, Talcher, Bokaro, North Chennai, and Kahalgaon.

These accidents caused widespread contamination of land and water, loss of crops, damage to property, and, in one case, fatalities. The most severe was the 2020 Sasan Ultra Mega Power Project breach, which killed six people and flooded 200 acres with toxic slurry. Yet, criminal proceedings were initiated in only one case. In most instances, compensation to affected communities remains incomplete, and mandated environmental damage assessments are delayed or withheld from public access.

Common causes include substandard ash dyke construction, lack of maintenance, and unscientific storage methods. Despite legally binding regulations for 100% fly ash utilisation, several plants show poor compliance, with some misrepresenting dumping as “reclamation.” Even where fines were imposed—ranging from ₹1 crore to ₹10 crore—accidents continue, raising questions about the effectiveness of such penalties.

The report highlights systemic failures: delayed clean-up, inadequate deterrence, poor regulatory oversight, and lack of media attention unless the damage is visibly large-scale. It calls for urgent reforms including criminal accountability, routine technical audits of ash ponds, better data transparency, and public access to compliance reports. As India transitions away from coal, the legacy of coal ash mismanagement threatens to persist—unless these systemic gaps are addressed now.

Barriers to Access, Adoption and Sustained Use of Cleaner Fuels Among Low Income Households: An Exploratory Study from Delhi and Jharkhand, India

Household Air Pollution (HAP) combined with poor air quality is associated with several health hazards, posing a greater risk for women and children in low-income households across India. Burning biomass for cooking and heating is a major contributor to HAP and switching to cleaner fuels like LPG, can be effective for mitigating HAP. The government’s efforts to promote clean cooking fuels such as LPG through schemes like Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) has increased the coverage, yet several barriers exist in access, adoption, and sustained use of LPG.

This exploratory study was undertaken to help understand the use and perceptions around biomass and LPG and capture the perceptions of household air pollution among low-income households. Ten focus groups and nine interviews were conducted in five urban slums of Delhi (both notified and non-notified bastis) and five in villages in rural Jharkhand. The study was carried out during the latter half of May and first half of June, 2022. The findings highlight that for the users, ease of access is more important than ease of use when deciding which fuel to use. Users’ perceptions regarding LPG, such as LPG being unsafe, food cooked on LPG being unhealthy and less tasty, combined with supply-side bottlenecks such as challenges in applying for and getting an LPG cylinder, lump-sum cash outflow during ordering refills for an LPG cylinder are some of the factors that act as a hindrance in its sustained use by women in low-income households.

This study was carried out for a specific intervention under the Cleaner Air and Better Health project, which is focused on transition to clean cooking fuels to reduce the exposure to household air pollution. The findings of this study will be used to recommend context level solutions and design pilot interventions with respective State governments that will help improve access to cleaner fuel for low-income households in India.

As part of the study, consultations were held with stakeholders in both Delhi and Jharkhand. In Jharkhand, dialogues and consultations were organized with members of the women Self Help Groups linked to the Jharkhand State Livelihoods Promotion Society (JSLPS), ward members, as well as members of civil society and NGOs working in the state, and specifically in the study district – Lohardaga. Similar process was followed in Delhi, where stakeholders in the community, such as anganwadi workers, ASHA workers, teachers, LPG distributors, community heads and opinion leaders
were consulted during the study.

Perception Study on Air Quality in 17 Cities

This study, conducted across 17 Indian cities with a sample size of 5,000 respondents (via both online and offline surveys), aimed to gauge public awareness and perception regarding air pollution—its causes, impacts, preventive measures, and information sources. The target groups included students, professionals, homemakers, senior citizens, and others across a wide demographic range.

Key findings indicate high awareness (95%) about air pollution, primarily sourced through TV/radio (71%), social media (52%), and print media (49%). Despite this, deeper understanding remains limited: only 35% fully understood the Air Quality Index (AQI). Awareness of specific terms like PM2.5 and PM10 was notably low, especially among less-educated respondents.

Air pollution is perceived as a major environmental concern, ranked highest in terms of impact on personal health. Nearly 93% acknowledged its negative health effects, with the lungs identified as the most affected organ. Over 85% reported feeling physically ill during poor air quality days, and 78% regularly discussed air pollution at home.

Most respondents attributed pollution to vehicle emissions, industrial activities, waste burning, and construction dust. Protective measures were uneven—43% reported wearing masks, while 27% took no precautions. Only 13% actively sought information on air quality, relying primarily on newspapers and mobile apps.

On government and civil society actions, 58% were aware of initiatives to curb pollution, though skepticism about effectiveness persisted. People expressed willingness to take individual action but desired clearer guidance and stronger institutional support.

In conclusion, while general awareness is high, actionable knowledge and behavior change remain limited. The study underscores the need for improved public communication, targeted education, and community engagement strategies to foster informed civic action on air quality issues in Indian cities.

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