Particulate Measurements Key to Solving India’s Air Pollution Puzzle

The “scary” air pollution situation in India makes it imperative to gather extensive, credible data on pollution and its sources at a fairly granular level—for every square kilometre of most mid- to large-sized cities, as well as for vast exurban and rural areas. But don’t we already have enough information on the pollution levels in cities and also the main culprits? Shouldn’t pollution control plans, therefore, be self-evident? The answer to both these questions is a resounding no. As cities and state governments face pressure from citizens to take urgent action, extremely poor “Clean Air” plans are being made and implemented based on inadequate data in dozens of cities across the country.