Designating Airsheds in India for Urban and Regional Air Quality Management

Air pollution knows no boundaries, which means for a city or a region to attain clean air standards, we must not only look at the emission sources within its own administrative boundary but also at sources in the immediate vicinity and those originating from long-range transport. And there is a limit to how much area can be explored to evaluate, govern, and manage designated airsheds for cities and larger regions. This paper discusses the need for an official airshed framework for India’s air quality management and urban airsheds designated for India’s 131 non-attainment cities under the national clean air program, and proposes climatically and geographically appropriate regional airsheds to support long-term planning. Between 28 states, eight union territories, 36 meteorological sub-regional divisions, and six regional meteorological departments, establishing the proposed 15 regional airsheds for integrated and collaborative air quality management across India is a unique opportunity.