12. South Asia

Abstract

In 2014, the Ministry of Environment and Forests underwent a name change and became the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The move was heralded as an indication of the change in priorities of the Indian government as well as an acknowledgement of the serious challenge that climate change poses. It may also be considered an indication of the government’s intention to integrate climate change in its plan for balanced growth. In response to the mounting criticism regarding the inaction in the face of significantly deteriorating air quality, the government launched the National Air Quality Index (NAQI). The NAQI will consider eight pollutants (particulate matter (PM) 2.5, PM10, nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, ozone, carbon monoxide, ammonia, and lead) for which short-term (up to a twenty-four-hour averaging period) National Ambient Air Quality Standards are prescribed. NAQI is designed to give details of air quality and information on its likely...