Context

• Air pollution is an urgent global concern, especially in regions like northern India, where the winter months bring record-breaking levels of toxic air quality.
• Addressing this crisis requires immediate and long-term strategies grounded in scientific understanding.
• The problem is multi-faceted, exacerbated by weather conditions, human activity, and climate change, and demands innovative, multidisciplinary solutions that prioritise human health and sustainability.

 The Air Quality Crisis in Northern India and the Role of Climatic Conditions

• The Air Quality Crisis in Northern India
  • The severity of air pollution in northern India, particularly in Delhi, is alarming and recent records indicate severe-plus air quality, with PM2.5 levels exceeding 500 µg/m³.
  • For context, an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 400, classified as severe, corresponds to only 250 µg/m³, highlighting the extreme nature of the situation.
  • This crisis unfolded despite a significant reduction in stubble-burning incidents, surprising experts and defying most forecasting models.
  • Analysis of atmospheric conditions revealed the presence of a polluted air blanket at around 500 meters above the surface, descending at night due to cooler temperatures and causing a sharp rise in pollution levels during the day.
  • This phenomenon suggests the intrusion of external pollutants, compounded by local emissions and fossil fuel usage, creating a toxic environment that endangers public health.
• The Role of Climate Change and Weather Patterns
  • The warmest October on record, delayed La Niña onset, and altered wind circulation patterns are contributing to worsening air quality.
  • La Niña, typically associated with improved wind dispersion, has been inconsistent, as evidenced by past winters.
  • These unusual weather phenomena highlight the growing complexity of managing air pollution under changing climatic conditions.

Challenges in Monitoring and Measuring Air Quality

• Inconsistencies in AQI Reporting
  • One major challenge is the disparity between AQI readings reported by official agencies and private entities.
  • While private agencies sometimes report AQI levels exceeding 1,000 or even 1,500, government figures rarely go beyond 500, even when using the same raw data.
  • India’s AQI guidelines rely on breakpoint thresholds that are less stringent than those prescribed by the World Health Organization (WHO).
  • These breakpoints dictate how pollutant concentrations translate into AQI values and ultimately into public health advisories.
• Gaps in Satellite Monitoring
  • Satellite-based monitoring plays a vital role in tracking pollution sources such as stubble burning. However, current systems have significant limitations.
  • For instance, NASA’s MODIS satellite, a key tool for detecting fire incidents, only passes over affected regions twice daily.
  • Farmers, aware of this limitation, have reportedly adjusted the timing of stubble burning to avoid detection.
  • This has introduced a new layer of complexity to pollution management, as official fire counts may no longer reflect ground realities.
• Lack of Integration Between Monitoring Systems
  • India's air quality monitoring network suffers from fragmentation and inadequate coverage.
  • Ground-based monitoring stations are concentrated in urban centres, leaving vast rural and peri-urban areas underrepresented.
  • This limits the ability to capture a complete picture of regional pollution patterns.
  • Furthermore, the integration between ground-based and satellite-based data remains suboptimal, leading to gaps in understanding pollution sources and their trajectories.
• Transparency and Public Accessibility
  • Another issue lies in the accessibility of air quality data to the public. While government agencies publish AQI data, the methodologies and thresholds used to calculate these figures are not always transparent.
  • This lack of clarity diminishes the credibility of official reports and makes it difficult for individuals and communities to take informed action.
  • Public trust is further eroded when discrepancies between official and private data are not adequately explained.

Necessary Measures Toward a Sustainable and Health-Centric Framework

• Rethinking Pollution Management: The Airshed Approach
  • One critical shift needed in air quality management is moving beyond political or regional boundaries and focusing on airsheds.
  • Airsheds are geographical regions that share the same air circulation patterns, making them more scientifically appropriate for managing pollution sources.
  • For instance, pollution in Delhi often originates in neighbouring states due to shared airsheds.
  • Adopting an airshed approach requires regional cooperation and the creation of joint task forces across states.
  • These task forces could develop shared mitigation strategies, such as coordinated crop residue management to reduce stubble burning or synchronised industrial emission controls.
• Building Technological Independence
  • India has the technological capacity to revolutionise air quality monitoring.
  • Investments in high-resolution satellite systems designed specifically for air quality assessment can make the country self-reliant in pollution tracking.
  • Satellites like INSAT-3D/3DR already have significant potential, but their use in air quality monitoring remains underexplored.
  • A dedicated satellite with advanced sensors for pollutants such as PM2.5, ozone, and nitrogen dioxide could provide real-time data critical for forecasting and managing air quality.
• Integration of Satellite Data with Ground Based Monitoring Systems
  • Integrating the satellite data with ground-based monitoring systems and advanced chemical transport models would improve the accuracy of pollution forecasts.
  • This integration would enable policymakers to anticipate pollution spikes and take pre-emptive measures, such as issuing public health advisories, implementing traffic restrictions, or temporarily shutting down high-emission industries.
• Strengthening Regulatory Frameworks
  • While India’s AQI system reflects local epidemiological studies, its standards are less stringent than global benchmarks like the WHO’s guidelines.
  • Aligning Indian standards with international norms could lead to better health outcomes, especially for vulnerable groups like children, the elderly, and those with pre-existing conditions.
  • Moreover, regulations must be dynamic, adapting to emerging challenges such as changing stubble-burning practices or new sources of industrial emissions.
  • Regularly updating these standards based on scientific evidence would ensure that they remain relevant and effective in mitigating pollution.
• Public Awareness and Community Participation
  • A health-centric framework must involve communities at every level.
  • Public awareness campaigns can educate citizens about the health risks of pollution and encourage behaviours such as carpooling, reducing waste burning, and using public transport.
  • Community participation can also drive grassroots solutions, such as local air quality monitoring networks and citizen-led tree-planting drives.
  • Transparency is critical to fostering public trust and participation.
  • Making air quality data easily accessible and understandable ensures that citizens can hold authorities accountable while taking informed personal actions to reduce exposure.
• Developing Health-Centric Policy Framework
  • A sustainable framework must place human health at the core of all air quality initiatives.
  • This means not only reducing pollutant levels but also improving healthcare systems to address the consequences of air pollution.
  • Strengthening respiratory care infrastructure, providing free or subsidised protective measures such as air purifiers and masks, and expanding research into pollution-related health impacts are vital components of a health-centric strategy.

Conclusion

• The air pollution crisis in northern India exemplifies the interplay of human activity, weather patterns, and climate change.
• Addressing it requires a shift from reactive, short-term measures to proactive, science-based strategies.
• By investing in advanced monitoring systems, developing international cooperation, and adopting stringent health-focused policies, India can lead the way in combating air pollution sustainably.

About High-Altitude Sickness:

• High-altitude sickness, or Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), occurs when the body cannot acclimatise to high elevations, typically over 8,000 feet (2,400 metres).
• As altitude increases, the air pressure and oxygen levels decrease, leading to hypoxia — a shortage of oxygen in the body’s tissues.
• Symptoms:
• Early symptoms of AMS include headache, nausea, fatigue, and shortness of breath.
• If left untreated, it can escalate into high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE), a life-threatening condition where fluid accumulates in the lungs, or high-altitude cerebral edema (HACE), where fluid collects in the brain.
• Both conditions require immediate medical intervention, and descent to lower altitudes is often the only way to prevent fatal outcomes.
• At higher altitudes, the body tries to adjust by increasing the breathing rate, which can cause hyperventilation, and produce more red blood cells to carry oxygen, which thickens the blood and strains the heart.
• In cases of HAPE, fluid accumulation in the lungs exacerbates breathing difficulties, while HACE causes symptoms like confusion, hallucinations, and even coma.
• The primary cause of high-altitude sickness is rapid ascent without allowing the body time to acclimatise. Gradual ascent, which allows the body to adapt to lower oxygen levels, is the best way to prevent high-altitude illnesses. 
• Treatment: The most effective treatment is immediate descent to lower altitudes. Symptoms usually improve significantly with a descent of 300-1,000 metres. Supplemental oxygen or a portable hyperbaric chamber can also help alleviate symptoms of AMS and HACE in emergencies.

About Binar Space Program:

• It is a satellite research program operating out of Curtin University.
• It aims to advance our understanding of the Solar System and lower the barrier for operating in space.
• The program began operations with its first satellite, Binar-1, in September 2021. This was less than a year into solar cycle 25 when solar activity was relatively low.
• In these conditions, the ten-centimetre cube satellite started at an altitude of 420 km and survived a full 364 days in orbit.
• The program’s follow-up mission – Binar-2, 3, and 4 – were three equally sized CubeSats. However, they were expected to last approximately six months owing to the extra surface area from new deployable solar arrays and a forecast increase in solar activity.
• As the Sun kicked into high gear, these three satellites burned up in the atmosphere much sooner than expected.

What is solar activity?

• It includes phenomena such as sunspots, solar flares and solar wind – the stream of charged particles that flows toward Earth.
• This activity is a product of the Sun’s ever-changing magnetic field, and approximately every 11 years, it completely flips. At the midpoint of this cycle, solar activity is at its highest.
• In the last few months, indicators of solar activity were more than one and a half times higher than predictions for this point in the current cycle, labelled solar cycle 25.
• Impacts:
• Higher solar activity means more solar flares and stronger solar wind – resulting in a higher flux of charged particles that can damage or disrupt electrical components on satellites.
• It also means an increase in ionising radiation, resulting in a higher dose for astronauts and pilots, and potential disruptions to long-distance radio communications.
• But for satellites in low Earth orbit, the most consistent effect of solar activity is that the extra energy gets absorbed into the outer atmosphere, causing it to balloon outward.
• As a result, all satellites less than 1,000 km from Earth experience a significant increase in atmospheric drag (This is a force that disrupts their orbit and causes them to fall towards the planet’s surface).
• Notable satellites in this region include the International Space Station and the Starlink constellation. These satellites have thrusters to counteract this effect, but these corrections can be expensive.

What is Space weather?

• Space weather refers to the environmental effects that originate from outside our atmosphere (mostly the Sun). It affects us on Earth in a variety of noticeable and unnoticeable ways.
• Space weather, and solar activity in particular, also creates additional challenges for satellites and satellite operators.

About Cloud seeding:

• Cloud seeding, also known as artificial rain, is a weather modification technique that aims to enhance precipitation by introducing substances into clouds to stimulate rainfall.
• How is it done?
  • The science behind cloud seeding involves dispersing materials such as silver iodide, potassium iodide, or dry ice into clouds to encourage the formation of rain or snow.
  • These particles serve as nuclei for water droplets to form around, potentially leading to increased precipitation.
  • The process can be carried out using aircraft, ground-based generators, or even rockets in some cases.
  • Cloud seeding is done to increase the radius of the cloud droplets so that they will grow bigger and because of gravity, they will come down as rainfall.
• In the context of air pollution, cloud seeding is seen as a potential method to "wash away" particulate matter and other pollutants from the air.
• The theory is that increased rainfall could help settle dust and other airborne particles, temporarily improving air quality.
• Challenges: Suitable atmospheric conditions are necessary for the technique to be effective, including the presence of clouds with sufficient moisture. 

About Army Tactical Missile System:

• It is a conventional surface-to-surface artillery weapon system capable of striking targets well beyond the range of existing Army cannons, rockets, and other missiles.
• It is manufactured by the US defense company Lockheed Martin.
• It is also designated M39 by the US Army, and its Department of Defence (DoD) designation is MGM-140.
• The missile first saw use during the 1991 Persian Gulf War.
• This weapon's known operators other than the US are Bahrain, Greece, South Korea, Taiwan, and the United Arab Emirates.
• Features:
  • ATACMS are 24/7, all-weather, surface-to-surface, inertially guided ballistic missiles.
  • Range: It has a range of about 190 miles (305 km).
  • Propulsion:Single-stage, solid propellant.
  • These missiles are fired from the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System(HIMARS) and the M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) platforms.
  • It has the ability to carry cluster munitions,which destroy a targeted area by releasing hundreds of bomblets instead of a single warhead. 

About Exercise Sanyukt Vimochan:

• It is a multilateral annual joint Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Exercise.
• The exercise, conducted by the Konark Corps of Southern Command of Indian Army, was conducted at Ahmedabad and Porbandar, Gujarat.
• The inaugural event of the exercise at Ahmedabad featured a Tabletop Exercise, focusing on the theme of 'Cyclone in Coastal Region of Gujarat'. Representatives from National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA), Meteorological Department and FICCI attended the event along with Indian Armed Forces officials.
• It is aimed at addressing gaps in interagency integration and cooperation, ensuring a swift and coordinated response to natural disasters.
• It also witnessed a Multi-Agency Capability Demonstration held at Chowpatty Beach at Porbandar on 19 November 24.
  • The Multi-Agency Capability Demonstration featured various agencies practicing coordinated logistics, rapid response and effective disaster management strategies in a simulated cyclone scenario.
• This event highlighted the collaborative efforts of the Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Airforce, Indian Coast Guard, National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force & other Central & State Agencies in addressing natural disasters.
• 15 Senior officials and representatives from Nine Friendly Foreign Countries from the Gulf Cooperation Council, Indian Ocean Region and Southeast Asia attended the event.
• Significance: It has not only enhanced our national disaster response capabilities but also added valuable contributions to the global dialogue on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief.

About Bharat NCX 2024:

• It is a landmark initiative to fortify India’s cybersecurity resilience.
• It is being conducted by the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) Government of India in strategic partnership with Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU).
• This flagship event serves as a unifying platform for over 300 participants, representing a diverse spectrum of government agencies, public organizations, and the private sector, all resolutely committed to the safeguarding of critical information infrastructure through training sessions, Live Fire, and Strategic exercises.
• Key Features:
  • The exercise includes immersive training on cyber defense and incident response, live-fire simulations of cyberattacks on IT and OT systems, and collaborative platforms for government and industry stakeholders.
  • A Strategic Decision-Making Exercisewill bring together senior management from across sectors to simulate decision-making in a national-level cyber crisis, enhancing their ability to respond to high-pressure situations with strategic acumen.
  • The CISO’s Conclavewill feature Chief Information Security Officers from the government, public, and private sectors sharing insights, participating in panel discussions, and exploring the latest trends and government initiatives in cybersecurity.
  • On the sidelines, the Bharat Cybersecurity Startup Exhibitionwill showcase innovative solutions from Indian startups, emphasizing their role in enhancing the nation's cybersecurity infrastructure.
  • The exercise also highlights leadership engagement and capacity building, fostering a unified approach to emerging cyber challenges.

About World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA):

• It was established in 1999 as an international independent agencyto lead a collaborative worldwide movement for doping-free sport. 
• Its governance and fundingare based on an equal partnership between the sport movement and governments of the world.
• Its primary role is to develop, harmonize, and coordinate anti-doping rules and policies across all sports and countries. 
• Its key activities include scientific research, education, the development of anti-doping capacities, and monitoring the World Anti-Doping Code (Code), the document harmonizing anti-doping policies in all sports and all countries.
• Formation:
  • After the events that shook the world of cycling in the summer of 1998, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to convene a World Conference on Doping.
  • The First World Conference on Doping in Sport held in Lausanne, Switzerland, on February 2-4, 1999, produced the Lausanne Declaration on Doping in Sport.
  • It provided for the creation of an independent international anti-doping agency to be operational for the Games of the XXVII Olympiad in Sydney in 2000.
  • Pursuant to the terms of the Lausanne Declaration, the WADA was established on November 10, 1999, in Lausanne to promote and coordinate the fight against doping in sport internationally. 
• WADA is a Swiss private law, not-for-profit foundation.
• Its seat is in Lausanne, Switzerland, and its headquarters are in Montreal, Canada.
• Governance Structure:
  • A 42-member Foundation Board (Board), the agency’s highest policy-making body, is jointly composed of representatives of the Olympic Movement(the IOC, National Olympic Committees, International Sports Federations, and athletes) and representatives of governments from all five continents.
  • A 16-member Executive Committee (ExCo), to which the Board delegates the management and running of the agency, including the performance of all its activities and the administration of its assets.

About Sabarmati River:

• It is a monsoon-fed river that originates in the Aravalli Hills of Rajasthan near Udaipur and meets in the Bay of Khambhat in Arabian sea.
• The Sabarmati basin extends over the states of Rajasthan and Gujarat, having an area of 21,674 sq.km with a maximum length and width of 300 km and 150 km.
• It flows north-south through Ahmedabad, bisecting the city into its western and eastern halves.
• It covers a total distance of 371 km, out of which 48 km is traversed in Rajasthan and the remaining 323 km in Gujarat.
• Its total catchment area is 21,674 sq. km. 
• It is bounded by the Aravalli Hills in the north and north-east, the Rann of Kutch in the west, and the Gulf of Khambhat in the south.
• The major part of the basin is covered with agriculture, accounting for 74.68% of the total area. 
• Tributaries: Its principal tributaries joining from left are the Wakal, the Hathmati, and the Vatrak, whereas the Sei joins the river from right.