The recent report on deteriorating air quality of Jammu and Kashmir is really a matter of concern. The air we are breathing is unclean and suffocating.

The report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) has pointed towards rising air pollution in J&K. As per the satellite based data, the districts lying in the Indo-Gangetic Plain are major contributors of air pollution.

The report ‘India Satellite Data Assessment Part 1’ shows J&K among northern Indian regions including Delhi, Chandigarh, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand), where annual PM2.5 concentrations on average surpass the NAAQS limit of 40 micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m³) mostly in winter, summer and post monsoon periods. This surpasses the World Health Organisation (WHO) guideline of 5 μg/m³. This has triggered massive health risks from chronic exposure to polluted air.

The report states that the persistence of high PM2.5 in the northern region, including J&K, challenges seasonal policy measures and requires year-round action.

The report advocates clean air planning to district-level action plans, leveraging satellite data to identify pollution hotspots. The report recommends airshed-based management to tackle cross-state pollution flows.

J&K, especially Kashmir, is draped with a thick layer of smog from the last two weeks. The pollutants fill up the........

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