Rising air pollution can cut life expectancy by more than five years per person in South Asia, one of the world’s most polluted regions, according to a report which flagged the growing burden of hazardous air on health.

The Air Quality Management (AQM) system in Tajikistan needs strengthening in its key policy and institutional as well as technical aspects to reduce health impacts of air pollution in the most polluted airsheds (Dushanbe and other urban centers).

Exposure to fine particulate pollution (PM2.5) increases mortality and morbidity and reduces human capital formation and worker productivity. As a consequence, high levels of particulate pollution may adversely affect economic activity.

As air pollution mitigation strengthens in the cities under the National Clean Air Programme, a recent analysis by Climate Trends brought attention to the rural regions in the country. The analysis used the SAANS satellite data and found that dangerous levels of particulate matter affect the rural regions too.

South Asia is home to 9 of the world's 10 cities with the worst air pollution. Concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in some of the region's most densely populated and poor areas are up to 20 times higher than what the World Health Organization considers healthy (5 micrograms per cubic meter).

Air pollution in recent years has become one of the most critical environmental issues. According to the 2021 World Air Quality Report, almost every Indian city exceeded the recommended WHO air quality levels.

Since 2011, WHO has been compiling and publishing ground measurements of air quality and, specifically, the annual mean concentrations of particulate matter with a diameter ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.5) and ≤ 10 μm (PM10).

Much of what is currently known about the adverse effects of ambient air pollution comes from studies conducted in high-income regions, especially North America and Europe, with relatively low air pollution levels.

Jharkhand is a mineral-rich state in India. Its cities have access to various solid fuels and proximity to several heavy industries. These factors, along with the movement of traffic (public and goods), contribute to air pollution in the state.

It is universally recognized that air pollution is a pressing environmental challenge that has increased considerably in recent years, leading to a rise in premature deaths, threatening livelihoods, and the sustainable development of the region.