UP urges Centre to consider setting up panel to tackle air pollution

The Uttar Pradesh government has asked the Centre to consider establishing an airshed coordination committee to manage air pollution in the Indo-Gangetic Plains, officials have said.

The Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) is a major hotspot for atmospheric pollution in India. During winter, pollution levels in the IGP sharply increase due to unfavourable weather conditions such as low temperatures and slow wind speeds.

This decline in air quality has reduced life expectancy in the region -- home to 40 per cent of India's population -- by around seven years, according to the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC).

In a letter dated July 22, the Uttar Pradesh government requested the Union environment ministry to consider setting up an airshed coordination committee for the IGP.

"Uttar Pradesh is located in the heart of the IGP. We have been advocating for addressing air pollution at the airshed level. Significant progress can be made if all states work together," a state