Uttar Pradesh Advocates for Airshed Coordination to Combat Indo-Gangetic Plains Pollution

The Uttar Pradesh government has urged the Centre to establish an airshed coordination committee to address air pollution in the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP), a major pollution hotspot. The proposed airshed approach encourages coordinated efforts across states to improve air quality, reducing life expectancy loss and meeting national standards.

The Uttar Pradesh government is pressing the Centre to form an airshed coordination committee aimed at tackling air pollution in the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP), officials confirmed.

The IGP, a significant pollution hotspot in India, experiences severe air quality deterioration during winter due to low temperatures and slow wind speeds. This decline in air quality has slashed life expectancy by about seven years for the 40% of India's population residing in this region, according to the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC).

In a correspondence dated July 22, Uttar Pradesh's government asked the Union environment ministry to consider the airshed method for managing air quality. "Uttar Pradesh is at the heart of the IGP. We have long advocated addressing air pollution at the airshed level. Significant progress can be made if all states work together," a state official said.

(With inputs from agencies.)