Compendium on Air Pollution

The Parliamentarians’ Group for Clean Air (PGCA) is a forum of Hon’ble Members of Parliament (MPs) from across India to deliberate upon and take action on matters related to Air Pollution.

Since National Clean Air Programme’s (NCAP) launch in 2019, there has been some improvements in the air quality in Indian cities. Around 95 cities have shown an improvement in air quality from 2019 levels. However, there is a need for sustained and amplified efforts towards air quality management. There is limited awareness on the topic and existing mitigation activities are largely siloed in nature.

In order to build momentum in the ecosystem and also to enable Parliamentarians to effectively monitor the factors impacting levels of Air Pollution in their constituencies, the PGCA has developed a Compendium on Air Pollution. Aishwarya KS and Shubhashis Dey, have been providing continuous inputs to the secretariat, Swaniti Initiative, to develop the Compendium launched in March 2023.

Over the last year, Swaniti organised capacity building workshops for the Clean Air Associates who are young professionals working with the MP’s on air pollution related concerns. The compendium acts as a ready reckoner for anyone who wants to better understand air pollution, its sources, health impacts, air quality monitoring etc. Most importantly, it consists of a list of indicators categorised into ‘monitoring buckets’ which acts as a tool/checklist for young researchers, policymakers, concerned citizens, etc. to take stock of air quality related actions in their areas.