Amul's latest doodle illustrates concerns over increasing air pollution in major cities

Considering the grave situation of air pollution observed across various cities in India, a health emergency has been triggered in the country. According to the air quality and pollution city tracking service from IQAir, a Switzerland-based climate group that is also a technology partner of the United Nations Environmental Program, three cities of India have been listed in ten cities with the worst air quality indices. Delhi tops the list as the average AQI stands at 556 while Kolkata and Mumbai rank fourth and sixth respectively on the entire list, according to IQAir service.

Amul, the dairy giant known for its satirical perspective on current issues in their advertisements, shared an illustration on Instagram where the Amul Girl wears a mask and walks on a polluted road. Referring to air quality deteriorating in various cities of India, Amul wrote, "ATMOSFEAR". The company cautioned the post, "The bad air quality in big cities".

India's air pollution

According to a worldwide survey conducted in 2019, it was discovered that 21 out of 30 most polluted cities were in India, further pushing the country's rank to 5th place. As per the figures published by iqair.com, the US AQI number averaged out at 152 and the PM 2.5 figure recorded was 58.08µg/m³. This concentration was five times higher than that recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO), indicating a serious health problem for most of the country.

Talking about sources that contribute to India's air pollution, the data suggests that about 50% of pollution comes from industry, followed by 27% from vehicles, 17% from crop burning and 7% from domestic cooking. According to the data, about two million people in India lose their life to causes attributed to air pollution.

Earlier on November 15, the Supreme Court heard a plea filed by a group of concerned citizens as Delhi's air quality remains in 'very poor' category. The Supreme Court stated that stubble burning is a serious issue and appropriate measures must be immediately taken to improve the situation. The three judges panel led by Chief Justice NV Ramana urged the Centre and state governments to impose work from home options for employees. The Court also ordered to cut down on industrial pollution and limit dust. 

(Image: AMULINDIA/INSTAGRAM)