India strives to control air pollution alongside economic growth

India is making efforts to purify the air without slowing down the pace of its economic growth. According to a report in The Hindu, India has ranked 176th out of 177 countries in the 2026 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) published by Yale and Columbia Universities of the USA.

This index evaluates 47 indicators across 12 thematic categories. In this report, India's air quality has been the worst, where the country ranks 175th. However, India's performance regarding air pollution control has been better, ranking 88th. This difference indicates that controlling certain emissions does not necessarily improve the quality of the air people breathe, and for India, only air quality is significant from the perspective of the health burden.

The State of Global Air 2025 report estimates that more than 20 lakh deaths may have occurred in India in 2023 due to air pollution. Additionally, an assessment conducted by the Central Pollution Control Board in 2012 revealed that 43.5% of children studying in Delhi schools showed reduced lung function, while this figure was 25.7% among children in the control group.

Many activities central to India's development contribute to air pollution, making it a challenge to maintain a balance between development and the environment.