An empirical study towards air pollution control in Agra, India: a case study

Abstract

Air pollution affects many people in developed and developing countries worldwide. It is costing around 2% and 5% of GDP (gross domestic product) in developed and developing countries, respectively. The air qualities have been deteriorating day by day and now the situation has become worst. An increase in air pollution will worsen the environment and human health status. Hence, there is an urgent need for air pollution control. Air pollution can be controlled by reducing the emission of air pollutants from industrial and domestic sources through source emission control decrease in fuel combustion, modifying technology, and growing plants. This is the ripe time to take some bold steps in controlling the menace of air pollution. The scientific bodies, NGOs, researchers, and policymakers have made several efforts but pollution levels are increasing everywhere. The UNEP (The United Nations Environment Program), IPCC (The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), etc., have prepared several reports and organize every year COPs (Conference of Parties) meeting but all have gone in vain as the main culprit feedback has not been taken into the consideration. So, a sincere effort is required to fight the effects of climate change. This paper presents a case study of the Agra region over the Indo-Gangetic basin. The air quality of different sites in Agra has been evaluated, and a survey has been conducted to get the public opinion on air pollution, causes, impacts, and solutions. 75% of respondents were aware of the poor air quality of Agra, however, the percentage of respondent who was unaware is not small. It is a matter of concern. 85% of respondents think that poor education and unawareness are the major cause of air pollution. They suggested education, value-based education to improve air quality. Based on these outcomes, it has been concluded that nature-based solutions for air pollution control can be achieved by making people environmentally conscious through value-based education.

India Environmental Policy: A Systematic Literature Review impact of Air Pollution toward Taj Mahal

“…Many experts state that total particulate suspended matter (TSPM), respiratory suspended particulate matter (RSPM), sulfur, and nitrogen oxides threaten ancient monumental structures. The darkening of the surface structures due to the formation of dust layers over time exacerbates this challenge [15]. Examine environmental policies that directly or indirectly impact the heritage building of the Taj Mahal.…”

“…The National Clean Air Program (NCAP), launched in January 2019, is a comprehensive initiative to reduce the concentration of particles (PM10 and PM2.5) by 20-30% in 102 cities across India by 2024. The program includes several actions that are part of efforts to protect the Taj Mahal, such as enhancing air quality monitoring around the monument, increasing public awareness of the impact of air pollution on cultural heritage, and implementing specific action plans to control potential sources of pollution that could damage the beauty of the Taj Mahal [15].…”

Evaluating the noise exposure levels of different schools in noise-scapes of Kargil town: Ladakh, India

“…The minimum indoor and outdoor L eq values which were exhibited by Sawb public school located in the residential area (52.9 dBA and 60.0 dBA) were higher than the prescribed limits of the two organisations to prevent intrusion with speech, 46 as the quality of acoustics in a classroom is crucial for listening skills and, consequently, for the learning potential of the students. 47,48 The higher LA eq levels in association with the threshold limits are a matter of concern. It should be noted that the students in all the schools may suffer from noise, which ultimately impacts their concentration, conception, and understanding in the classroom.…”