Where India's Air Pollution Comes From

The main sources of India's air pollution - vehicles, industry, power plants, dust, household fuels and crop burning - and why sources differ by city and season.

India has many of the world’s most polluted cities, according to global air quality reports.

Main sources

Vehicles: exhaust from cars, trucks and two-wheelers.
Industry: factories, brick kilns and boilers.
Power plants: coal burning.
Dust: from roads and construction.
Household fuels: wood, dung and coal for cooking and heating.
Crop residue burning: seasonal, in north India.
Waste burning.

Varies by place

In Delhi, vehicles, dust, industry and seasonal stubble smoke all matter.
In smaller towns, household fuels and brick kilns may dominate.

Seasons

Winter: cold, still air traps pollution near the ground.
Monsoon: rain washes air cleaner.

Regional pollution

Pollution travels: much of a city’s pollution can come from outside its boundaries.

Externality

Polluters don’t pay for the harm they cause others, a classic negative externality.

The winter morning

On a still December morning in north India, smoke from vehicles, kilns and cooking fires lingers low, creating thick haze.

Thinking one source causes all pollution

Vehicles, industry, dust, fuels and crop burning all contribute.

Key takeaways

India has many of the world's most polluted cities.
Sources include vehicles, industry, power, dust, fuels and crop burning.
Sources vary by city and season.
Pollution is a negative externality.