Unbundling Air Pollution Concerns: A Closer Look at Socio-economic Factors

Several cities in India have poor air quality with pollutants exceeding the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. Cities with high pollution levels vary substantially in terms of the type of pollutant and meteorological conditions. Given the adverse impacts of air pollution on health and well-being of citizens and its negative impacts on the economy, managing air pollution is a top priority. However, the cities and the states that these belong to differ substantially with regard to natural capital endowments, demographic and socio-economic characteristics and hence are not similarly positioned to tackle air pollution. This study examines the empirical evidence on air quality with income, demographic and socio-economic factors at the state level, using PM₁₀ concentration levels as an indicator of pollution. The insights from the analysis maybe relevant for the current measures being considered to tackle pollution including the recently launched National Clean Air Programme. Designing economic mechanisms and resource allocation which takes on board the heterogeneity across states and decentralizes decision-making for similarly affected regions maybe important for tackling pollution.