Bihar Is Said To Have The Worst Air Quality In The World, Endangering Lives

Why is Bihar counted as one of the worst air quality in the world?

 The environmental degradation and biodiversity losses induced by the emission of greenhouse gases is one of the common concerns that affected a multitude of cities in India, and in the India state of Bihar, its repercussion is quite remarkable. Due to the uncontrolled use of fossil fuel and industrial activities, the air quality in different cities in  Bihar has worsened over the years, affecting the quality of life of the general public.

Since India, over the years, has tried to minimize the emission of greenhouse gases that are the most causative agent of air pollution, Begusarai in Bihar is counted as the four most polluted cities in the world. The air quality of Begusarai has been affected due to the increased emission of greenhouse gases that are being generated from a multitude of industrial activities, and it is accounted for the worst air quality in the world, endangering lives due to its high level of PM2.5 pollution.

As air pollution remains the biggest prelim in Bihar and different parts of India as well, it has cause for alarm for the overall health and well-being of the general public. The World Health Organization (WHO) stated that due to the rising air pollution, diminishing the quality of air leads to seven million premature deaths annually.

In Begusarai, which is located in Bihar, the implication of worse air quality could be catastrophic for the health of people since exposure to poor air quality increases the chances of cancer, stroke, asthma and several lung diseases. WHO also indicate that exposure to high levels of PM2.5 pollution can impact the cognitive development of children and also increase the severity of pre-existing diseases like diabetes. 

Air Quality Index (AQI )of different Indian cities 

What are the main causes that affect the air quality in Indian cities like Begusarai?

There are several factors affecting the air quality in the state of Bihar and cities like Begusarai, including Industrial Activates, Emissions from vehicles, geography and climate, Burning of fossil fuel and many more.

Industrial Activates

 Poor quality of air has become a common issue among Indian cities, and Industrial emissions have played a considerable role that degrading the quality of air in cities like Begusarai. The prime factors that affect the air quality of this Indian city are found to be caused due to the several industrial activities and the presence of manufacturing hubs chemical plants, the likelihood of the emission of air-polluting substances like carbon monoxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Ammonia and nitrogen oxides have been elevated over the years.

If the government of India does not take any effective steps to eliminate this issue related to the degradation, the quality of air in different cities in India, including Bihar, could worsen over time. It has been identified that the lack of strict environmental regulations enabling a multitude of industries to disregard the aspect of applying strict actions against emission control this not to be addressed and mitigated by reinforcing environmental regulations by the government of India.         

Emissions from vehicles

With the increased number of vehicles on Indian roads that are being operated with the help of Diesel engines there is a high level of emission of nitrogen oxides has been observed, and in cities like Begusarai, this is found to be another key factor impacting the air quality. A large number of Indians highlight their behavioural inclination towards perching vehicles that generally come with Diesel engines. Due to the limited awareness among the general population of India regarding “Electric Vehicles” EVs, it has contributed to the emission of nitrogen oxides, which is another leading cause of degradation of air quality.        

Geography and climate

Most of the cities in India have been going through rapid urbanization.Begusarai, which is also known as the industrial and financial capital of Bihar located near a multitude of industrial units. This is identified to be one key factor that elevates emissions of air-polluting substances which worsen the air quality of  Begusarai in Bihar. On the other hand, like other Indian cities, the climate of Begusarai is hot and very humid, that lies in a subtropical temperate zone. Therefore, during hot summer months, increasing temperature elevates the possibility of photochemical reactions. This turns out to be one of the leading causes of the formation of ground-level ozone.

Burning of fossil fuel

In Indian cities, diesel-powered machinery that is being used by varied construction businesses increases the emission of nitrogen oxide, which contributes to high levels of PM2 pollution. In addition to that, most sources of outdoor air pollution are beyond the control of individuals. Besides, this demands intensive action by national as well as regional level policy makers associated with industries like waste management, urban planning and agriculture, transport and energy. According to the World Health Organization,” WHO people living in low and middle-income nations inexplicably witnessing the burden of outdoor air pollution with 4.2 million premature deaths occurring in these regions. 

Indian government have been taking key steps to improve air quality

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India launched the “National Clean Air Programme” (NCAP) in January 2019 as a long-term, national-level strategy to tackle the issues related to air pollution in the nation. They aim to attain a 20 per cent to 30 per cent reduction in concentrations of PM10 and PM 2.5. by 2024-25 compared to the baseline year of 2017-18. Through this sophisticated measure to reduce the concentrations of PM10 and  P5 2.5, the air quality may improve in different cities in India, and this sort of measure subsequently eradicates the burden of air pollution in urban locations of this specific region. 

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