Surpassing China, India "achieves" record for air pollution

(Baonghean.vn) – According to a study by Greenpeace, for the first time, the average pollution level in India was higher than that in China in 2015.

Air pollution levels in India, particularly in northern India, have increased over the past 10 years, with 2015 being the worst year on record, according to satellite-based measurements of particulate matter. The Greenpeace report also found that average pollution levels in China peaked in 2011 and have been improving significantly.

Pollution levels are on the rise in India.

PM2.5 levels - an indicator of the level of particulate matter that poses the greatest health risk - fell 17% in China between 2010 and 2015 and 15% in the US. In India, they rose 13%.

China can be seen as an example of taking concrete measures to reduce pollution, according to Greenpeace. The world's second-largest economy has established a set of targets for improving air quality in key areas and promoting the use of clean energy. The Chinese government has also implemented stricter emission standards for heavy industry and cut coal consumption.

Greenpeace has set a deadline for India to set national air quality standards, and asked the country to come up with a large-scale action plan for heavily polluted areas stretching from Punjab in the north to West Bengal in the east.

Thanh Hien

(According to Bloomberg)