Air Pollution In India

(picture of a street in Dover) When you gaze out your window, your typical view is similar to this, a clear blue sky filled with white clouds. When you step outside, you have the privilege of being able to breath in clean air. However, if you were living in India and looking out of a window, this would be much different. (picture of a street in India) Rather than a blue sky, your view would be of a sky turned gray from the excessive amounts of air pollution. Walking out of a building in India, instead of breathing in fresh, clean air, you would be inhaling air contaminated by the toxins that have infiltrated it. The noise from the hundreds of vehicles on the street that are causing pollution is overwhelming. India’s air pollution is an imminent …show more content…
India has a population of approximately 1.29 billion. New Delhi, one of India’s larger cities, has a population of approximately 25.7 million. In 2010, there was total of 4.7 million road vehicles in New Delhi (The Underlying Causes of Delhi 's Air Pollution Problems). The large number of road vehicles is influenced by a number of factors. Buses are taxed more heavily than cars, making buses more expensive to own and operate, and because of the large number of vehicles occupying the road, it is dangerous to utilize non-polluting modes of transportation such as walking and bicycling (What Causes Pollution in Delhi?). Because of this, a majority of India’s large population is reliant on the use of smaller vehicles as their main mode of transportation. A report from the Environmental Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) states that with the exception of 38 cities of 7,935 in all of India, the standard fuel used in vehicles is extremely polluting (EPCA). Vehicles produce pollutants including carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, sulfur dioxide, and hydrocarbons which can react with nitrogen oxides to form ground-level ozone that can cause harmful respiratory problems (Motor Vehicle Pollution). India’s coal usage is another major contributor to the air pollution. Again, India’s large population plays a role in its pollution. The large population requires …show more content…
Air pollution is the fifth major cause of death in India. The air pollution is so severe that non-smokers have started to develop smokers’ lungs (Air pollution and our right to clear air). Ozone, which is a result of vehicular pollution, can cause symptoms of asthma, bronchitis, and emphysema to worsen as well as coughing, breathing pain, and lung and throat irritation (Ozone and Your Health). Additionally, air pollutants can cause stress to the heart and lungs and damage cells in the respiratory system. Other long term effects include loss of lung capacity, decreased lung function, and the development of diseases including asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, and cancer. According to the CDC, the leading causes of death in India are cardiovascular related (Rep. CDC). Along with these health problems, air pollution can have disastrous effects on the environment. Carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that develops from the burning of fossil fuels, contributes to global warming. Sulfur dioxide, another pollutant that prompts global warming, also results from the burning of fossil fuels. Global warming, created by these greenhouse gases, have a number of calamitous effects including the melting of ice caps, rising sea levels, and an increase in precipitation. The dangers of the effects of air pollution on people and the environment are too imminent for nothing to be