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Introduction
Air Pollution is defined “as the presence of any air pollutant in the atmosphere, or as any solid, liquid, or gaseous substance present in the atmosphere in such concentration as may be or tend to be injurious to human beings or other living creatures or plants or property or environment. 2 Public health is a clear and present issue. Continual exposure to contaminated air has caused a surge in the number of patients suffering from respiratory diseases in Delhi. 3 The high amounts of pollutants in the air have caused a vertical drop in the quality of ambient air in the city. According to some studies, such drastic degradation in air quality has reduced the lung capacity of the average citizen and the overall life expectancy rate of the average citizen residing in Delhi has also plummeted. 4 5 AnAmbient Air Quality study conducted on respiratory symptoms and lung functions among a sample of children in Delhi indicated that the abundance of air
In many developing and emerging economies like India, China, and Pakistan, air pollution is a rapidly escalating issue. By 2030, more than 50% of India’s population 1 is expected to live in urban areas with the highest population density being in the National Capital Region of Delhi. This rapid urbanisation is forcing people to create homes where there were none before and has, in part, led to an increase in the number of motor vehicles which has significantly contributed to the escalation of air pollution. This is significantly worsening pollution due to increased exhaust fumes, construction dust, domestic pollution, crop burning, as well as industrial emissions. Meanwhile, deforestation as a direct result of urbanisation has diminished the Aravalli Range and left Delhi less able to cope with harmful airborne pollutants. With Delhi projected to become the most populous city in the world by 2028 and India expected to have the largest number of urban dwellers by 2050, the challenges of urbanisation will have consequences for policymakers and businesses as they seek to adapt to build greater resilience to these environmental threats.
1 India Urbanisation Econometric Model; McKinsey Global Institute analysis Pg. 15 available at https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/McKinsey/Featured%20Insights/Urbanization/Urban%20awakening%20in%20 India/MGI_Indias_urban_awakening_executive_summary.ashx 2 Section 2(a) and 2(b) of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 of India 3 The Supreme Court of India in the case of M.C. Mehta v. Union of India, (2005) 10 SCC 217, order dated April 5, 2002 4 Study on ambient air quality, respiratory symptoms and lung function of children in Delhi, Central Pollution Control Board Ministry of Environment & Forests, 2012 available at http://cpcb.nic.in/openpdffile.php?id=UmVwb3J0RmlsZXMvMzNfMTQ1ODEyNzM4OV9OZXdJdGVtXzE5MV9TdHVkeU FpclF1YWxpdHkucGRm 5 Id.and Michal Nachmany, Sam Fankhauser, Joana Setzer and Alina Averchenkova “Global Trends in Climate Change Legislation and Litigation” (2017), 13
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