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Clean Air for All

Air pollution affects well-being, but its social implications extend far beyond health.

Air pollution is the leading environmental health risk globally with the World Health Organization (WHO) estimating that air pollution is responsible for a staggering 7 million premature deaths worldwide. In India, nearly 77% of India’s population is regularly exposed to air pollution levels above the National Ambient Air Quality Standards safe limits.

‘Dirty air’ is often not visible and particulate matter—often referred by size in micrometers, PM10, PM2.5 and PM1—can lead to cardiac distress and diseases such as asthma and cancer with smaller particles entering deeper into the lungs. Worsening air pollution not only impacts human health, it also reduces crop yields, alters rain fall patterns and affects climate change.

The sources and causes of air pollution vary by place, across seasons and over time posing a daunting challenge to human development. But this problem can be resolved by shifting the conversation from grievances to determining the cause of pollution and how best it ought to be tackle for the benefits of reducing air pollution far outweigh the costs of deployment.

Air quality's impact goes beyond health
SMCSMC Graphic for the Clean Air

Surat Clean Air Action Plan

The Surat Clean Air Action Plan (SCAP), developed by WRI India in collaboration with Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) and the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) and supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies and Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation (SSEF), offers technical interventions and suggests mitigation actions to strengthen institutional road maps.

  • Serves as a ‘roadmap' to achieve cleaner air in the SMC area and recommends cost-effective interventions to reduce emissions from identified air pollution sources
  • Offers a detailed assessment of air pollution source characteristics evaluated by an emissions inventory and a source apportionment study (done by TERI) coupled with inputs from stakeholders and local/regional policymakers.

View the Report

Clean Construction Pilot surat

Clean Construction Pilot

One of the major causes of particulate matter emissions in Surat city is construction. The 'Handbook of Clean Construction Practices' created by WRI India in partnership with the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB), Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC), CREDAI, and Bloomberg Philanthropies, offers guidelines, mitigation measures and best practices to lower air pollution emissions from various on-site construction activities.

  • Sangini Skyteria (Vesu, Surat) has undertaken a pilot project to reduce air pollution at their site.
  • All mitigation approaches, as laid out in the Handbook, will be incorporated at a case construction site and the impact will be examined against a control construction site (without mitigation measures).
  • This study will serve as a new standard for future building projects by quantifying clean construction processes and ensuring a data-driven plan for on-site dust control.

Know More | View the Handbook

Clean Air Catalyst Surat

Clean Air Catalyst

World Resources Institute (WRI), the Environmental Defense Fund, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) established Clean Air Catalyst to help cities reduce air pollution by advancing solutions that safeguard health, foster equitable prosperity, and address the climate crisis. The pilot is currently underway in Indore city, Madhya Pradesh and Jakarta, Indonesia. Clean Air Catalyst is currently working with Indore Municipal Corporation and Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board to mitigate air pollution and related issues. Local and national air quality specialists, domain and sector-specific professionals from WRI Global and WRI India, and community stakeholders are leading the efforts.

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ONGOING WORK

Developing guidelines for Green Infrastructure for the city of Surat and assessing impact of emissions abatement

Clean Air Catalyst: Building capacity for locally tailored air pollution, climate change, and health solutions in Indore in partnership with EDF supported by USAID

Developing training modules on energy efficient practices for the textile processing industry of Surat, in collaboration with South Gujarat Textile Processing Association (SGTPA)

The Surat Clean Air Action Plan (SCAP) which is part of the National Mission to improve the air quality in Indian cities.

Clean Construction Pilot Project in Surat

Road Dust characterisation: Identifying hotspots and implementing mitigation measures

DEPLOYING CITY-WIDE ACTION PLANS : SURAT CLEAN AIR ACTION PLAN

"After connecting with WRI India, we understood that construction is a major source of SPM 10 and SPM 2.5 pollution. While construction activity is regulated through regional rules and national acts; source apportionment of suspended particulate had never been discussed before. As the vice president of CREDAI, it is my duty to raise awareness and educate our members about the importance of clean air."

Dr. Jignesh Patel

SCAP workshop participant

Vice President, The Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India (CREDAI) Surat

Chairman, SMART CITIES initiatives cell

Clean Air

Surat is among the first cities in India to adopt the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). WRI India Ross Center, in collaboration with the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) and Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC), and supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies and Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation (SSEF) is supporting the development of the clean air action plan in the city as per NCAP guidelines and is working to raise awareness and build advocacy for clean air.