POLLUTION

People from Rural Areas Are More Concerned About Air Quality in Their Localities Than Urbanites, Survey Finds

Thick smog engulfs Delhi after Diwali (Tarun Rawat/BCCL) — Thick smog engulfs Delhi after Diwali
(Tarun Rawat/BCCL)

An exclusive survey conducted by CVoter has revealed many startling perceptions about air pollution, which has become a serious issue in the country. Data from the survey indicate that Indians living in rural areas are more aware of and concerned with air pollution "in their locality."

In rural areas, almost 40% of people think the air quality has gotten much worse, while in urban areas, it's about 31%. When considering those who think it has worsened a little, 65% in rural areas and 62% in urban areas have a negative outlook. On the flip side, around 15% of rural respondents and 18% of urban respondents feel the air quality has improved. About 18% of respondents overall think there has been no change, and the rest didn't provide a response.

Conducted in the Hindi-speaking belt of the country with over 1,803 participants, the survey asked the respondents and they were given five options: ‘deteriorated a lot,’ ‘deteriorated a little,’ ‘hasn’t changed,’ ‘improved a little,’ and ‘improved a lot.’

The survey also shows differing perceptions across income categories, with the affluent more worried about air pollution. About 50 per cent of the respondents from the higher income level group said that the air quality around them had ‘deteriorated a lot.’ This extremely negative opinion around air pollution was shared by 39.7 per cent of respondents in the middle-income group and 30.4 per cent of respondents in the low-income group. Overall, nearly 64 per cent, or every two in three Indians, believe that the air quality in their locality has largely deteriorated in the last 10 years (net negative response).

For many years, air pollution has become a major issue and has rung alarm bells over its harmful impact on health, particularly in northern India. According to IQAir, a global body that monitors air pollution across the world, 39 of the 50 most polluted cities in the world are in India. The Supreme Court is currently conducting hearings on an urgent basis to mull concrete and durable steps to curb air pollution.

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The above article has been published from a wire agency with minimal modifications to the headline and text.

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