What is polluting India’s air? the need for an official air pollution emissions database
This study reviews and compares five databases (three global and two regional) that provide emission estimates for air pollutants in India. These databases include EDGARv5, ECLIPSEv6b, REASv3.2, SMoGv1 and TERI (2016). While these global and regional estimates agree on the leading sources of air pollution in India, they vary significantly from each other. The study illustrates the extent of these variations and the uncertainty it creates in assessing the severity of impact of different polluting sectors on India’s air quality levels. It also highlights the need for a periodically updated air pollution emission database for India that can capture the dynamic nature of air pollution in the country.
