Economic loss due to air pollution in India

Introduction

 Everywhere in the world air pollution is proving to be one of the biggest killers. All of India’s 1. 4 billion people are affected by unhealthy ambient PM 2. 5 – the most toxic pollutant – multiple sources. These small particulates that are expressed as Particulate matter have a diameter of less than 2 micrometers. Exposure to PM 2. 5 can lead to such fatal diseases as lung cancer, stroke, and diseases of the heart if taken or inhaled. It indicates that African AIDS victims constitute 8% of the total deaths in that country. Reaching $8 billion each in sales in India in 2019. This total loss is $36. 8 billion was 1. which constituted 36 % of the total Indian gross domestic product (GDP). PM 2. 5 can also originate from wind-borne dust which includes natural dust strongly dust from construction sites, roads, and industrial plants.

This refers to half of the share of PM 2. 5 emissions in India are created in a “secondary” manner in the higher layers of the atmosphere when one type of gaseous pollutant such as ammonia (NH3), react with some other gaseous pollutants such as sulfur dioxide (SO2) or nitrogen oxides (NOx) originating from another place. Agriculture, industries, power, stations, domestic, and transport all play a great role in the formation of secondary PM 2. 5.

What are the Principal Causes of Air Pollution in India?

• Excessive Motorized Transport: 

Road transport, especially motor vehicles for example cars, commercial vehicles, etc, play a great role in pollution within the urban areas. It is approximated to be the main source of 60% urban pollution as caused by vehicle emissions.

This market in India has gone up in value from one hundred Billion USD and is bound to reach nearly 160 Billion USD in 2027 registering an 8. 1%.

• Road Expansion and Traffic Congestion:

 It is due to the obsession with increasing the width of roads to allow for many cars but at the same time not addressing the issue of increasing traffic which in turn increases pollution. Congestion and disorganization of traffic increase the level of pollution.

• Construction Activities: 

 Even though it is not the main reason for pollution the burning of paddy straw, especially from October to March in Haryana and Punjab adds to smog and particulate matter pollution in North India.

• Inadequate Green Spaces: 

The green lungs of the cities, water bodies, green areas of urban commons, and greenhouse urban farming have reduced while ‘hard’ infrastructures have increased tremendously.

• Lack of Public Participation: 

Occasionally, city dwellers only have limited opportunities to participate in development decision-making processes hence the policies and projects which are not sensitive to the health of its people or sensitive to the environment.

How air pollution affects India’s economy

1. Public Health Costs

Healthcare Expenditures: Pollution of the air increases the occurrence rate of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases requiring the society to spend more on visits to the doctor and medications.

Premature Mortality: According to research done, approximately twelve hundred people are killed every year by air pollution, resource entities that have been helpful within the economy.

2. Productivity Loss

Workforce Absenteeism: Health challenges that are as a result of air pollution cause many people to miss work earning the country name tough loss of work days. Air Pollution reduces the efficiency of workers during work and productivity hours. They may have suffered discomfiture, mild illness or allergies etc which implies that the workers produced The high level of air pollution can cut down the extensive margin of the labor workforce both through migration effects; through mortality rates and birth rates. Consequently, a high level of air pollution causes an increase in the level of mortality and a decrease in the level of birth. All of these effects result in the reduction of the total number of workers available in the region

3. Agricultural Impact

Crop Yields: Different types of air pollutants including ground-level ozone have adverse impacts on crops thus reducing the yields in agricultural production. This can lead to high food prices or decreased income for farmers, which in any case is a negative outcome.

Livestock Health: It also affects the health of livestock which in turn reduces productivity and affects the farmers in the agricultural business.

4. Impact on Tourism

Decline in Tourist Visits: Pollution can greatly reduce the likelihood of tourists visiting a particular area hence reducing tourism income. Tourism is one of the industries that may feel the impact; regions that attract many tourists may have severe pollution thus many people may avoid these areas which translates to less business for business around these areas. Pollution also affects infrastructure like roads and airports and this would make it hard for the tourist to be able to move around the country.

The extent of air pollution’s effect on tourism is most devastating in India’s largest cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata.

5. Environmental Degradation

Ecosystem Damage: Pollution impacts the biophysical environment like forests, and water sources and thus slows down in delivering services such as water provision, timber provision, and recreation.

Biodiversity Loss: Harms to the natural ecosystems through pollution prompts the elimination of species hence shrinking concentration in those industries utilising native species.

6. Urbanization and Infrastructure

Increased Urban Costs: Places that get a lot of pollution have high expenses for washing or reversing such structures.