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Obesity by algorithm: How delivery apps are rewriting childhood

A survey by the Centre for Science and Environment found that 76% of children had access to fast food outlets in their neighbourhoods, and 12% consumed it more than twice a week. Household expenditure data show a steady rise in processed foods and beverages in urban India, even as cereal consumption declines. With over 750 million smartphone users, delivery services bypass both the kitchen and the school gate. The algorithm becomes an invisible decision-maker, shifting taste and habit without ever appearing in the health conversation. India's obesity crisis is no longer hidden in statistics -- it is visible in every classroom, every delivery app notification, and every child’s plate. Childhood in India’s cities is being reshaped not only by screens and social media, but by what arrives at the doorstep wrapped in plastic and cardboard. The daily meal, once a shared ritual anchored in care, is increasingly replaced by algorithm-curated convenience. For children, food now arrives through notifications, discounts, and auto-suggested menus long before hunger even announces itself. What looks like choice is in fact code-driven appetite, and what looks like abundance is often malnutrition in disguise. In the same classroom bench, one child may struggle with chronic fatigue caused by iron deficiency while another exhibits early signs of obesity and metabolic stress. Recent metropolitan school studies indicate that nearly one in three students is already overweight or obese. A 2023 meta-analysis estimated pooled overweight and obesity prevalence among urban school children at 19-23%, with higher rates in private schools. By 2030, India is projected to have more than 27 million children and adolescents living with obesity, accounting for roughly 11% of the global burden. At the same time, National Family Health Survey-5 data reveal that among girls aged 15-19, anaemia prevalence exceeds 59%, while among adolescent boys stands it stands at nearly 31%. This coexistence reflects the double burden of malnutrition -- a generation both overfed and undernourished, driven not by scarcity but by calorie-dense, nutrient-poor diets. How the algorithm shapes appetite: Food delivery platforms have become powerful actors in the urban food system. Their algorithms are not neutral -- they amplify foods that maximise profit, often those high in sugar, salt and unhealthy fats. Through visuals, time-bound deals and personalised nudges, children are repeatedly steered toward the same narrow spectrum of ultra-processed food. A survey by the Centre for Science and Environment found that 76% of children had access to fast food outlets in their neighbourhoods, and 12% consumed it more than twice a week. Household expenditure data show a steady rise in processed foods and beverages in urban India, even as cereal consumption declines. With over 750 million smartphone users, delivery services bypass both the kitchen and the school gate. The algorithm becomes an invisible decision-maker, shifting taste and habit without ever appearing in the health conversation. Overlaying this landscape is the rise of health washing. Foods marketed as “baked,” “multigrain,” or “protein-rich” often remain nutritionally poor, but these labels soften perception. Delivery platforms now curate alleged healthy menus that serve more as reassurance than reform. Parents attempting to make better decisions find themselves navigating a marketplace engineered to blur the distinction between nutrition and promotion. India generates over 3.5 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, much of it from food packaging. Delivery meals commonly involve multiple layers of non-recyclable waste -- plastic trays, foam insulation, aluminium foil, sachets and disposable cutlery. Between 2016-17 and 2020-21, reported plastic waste generation increased by more than 40%, with metropolitan cities contributing disproportionately. Each meal delivered adds to landfill pressure, clogged drains and carbon emissions. What begins as dietary convenience multiplies into environmental stress, worsening urban pollution, groundwater contamination and ecosystem degradation. Children’s dietary shifts thus feed both a health crisis and an ecological one.

Heat Pocket Effect: बढ़ती गर्मी से दिल पर खतरा, IMD ने जारी किया अलर्ट

Centre for Science and Environment की 2026 की रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक कई शहरों में रात का तापमान कम ही नहीं हो रहा। बेंगलुरु और हैदराबाद जैसे शहरों में भी जमीन का तापमान 7 से 15 डिग्री तक बढ़ चुका है। मतलब आपका दिल रात में भी आराम नहीं कर पा रहा। Heat Pocket Effect: भारत में गर्मी ने इस बार जल्दी दस्तक दे दी है। 5 मार्च 2026 को ही मौसम मई जैसा महसूस हो रहा है। India Meteorological Department ने पहले ही चेतावनी दे दी है कि इस साल मई तक सामान्य से ज्यादा गर्मी पड़ेगी। लेकिन असली खतरा सिर्फ तेज धूप नहीं है, बल्कि हमारे शहरों का कंक्रीट भी है। क्या है हीट पॉकेट का खतरा? आपने महसूस किया होगा कि आपका मोहल्ला घुटन भरा लगता है, या बाजार तक पैदल जाते ही दिल तेज धड़कने लगता है। यह सिर्फ आपका वहम नहीं है। इसे हीट पॉकेट कहते हैं। यह Urban Heat Island जैसा असर है, जहां इमारतें, सीमेंट और डामर दिनभर की गर्मी सोख लेते हैं और रात में धीरे-धीरे छोड़ते रहते हैं। Centre for Science and Environment की 2026 की रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक कई शहरों में रात का तापमान कम ही नहीं हो रहा। बेंगलुरु और हैदराबाद जैसे शहरों में भी जमीन का तापमान 7 से 15 डिग्री तक बढ़ चुका है। मतलब आपका दिल रात में भी आराम नहीं कर पा रहा।

दिल्ली में पैदल यात्रियों और साइकिल ड्राइवरों की अनदेखी, सीएसई ने पेश किाए चौंकाने वाले आंकड़े

राष्ट्रीय राजधानी के परिवहन नियोजन को लेकर सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरमेंट (सीएसई) ने चौंकाने वाले आंकड़े पेश किए हैं। ''स्टेट ऑफ इंडियाज एनवायरमेंट'' 2026 रिपोर्ट के अनुसार, दिल्ली में बुनियादी ढांचा मोटर वाहनों के हिसाब से विकसित किया जा रहा है, जबकि असलियत में शहर की एक बहुत छोटी आबादी ही चौपहिया वाहनों का इस्तेमाल करती है। सड़कों पर असमानता : छह प्रतिशत कारें, 90 प्रतिशत कब्जा सीएसई की महानिदेशक सुनीता नारायण ने बताया कि दिल्ली में महज 6.4 प्रतिशत लोग कारों का उपयोग करते हैं। इसके विपरीत, 38.9 प्रतिशत लोग आज भी नान-मोटराइज्ड व्हीकल (साइकिल या पैदल) का सहारा लेते हैं। विडंबना यह है कि सड़कों का 90 प्रतिशत हिस्सा कारें घेरती हैं, जबकि साइकिल सवारों और पैदल चलने वालों के लिए सुरक्षित फुटपाथ या लेन का अभाव है। उन्होंने सवाल उठाया कि जब बड़ी आबादी पैदल या साइकिल से चलती है, तो शहर की पूरी प्लानिंग केवल फ्लाईओवर एवं सड़कों को चौड़ा करने तक ही सीमित क्यों है?

Rapid warming a cause of concern

A report that has been published in the State of India’s Environment (SOE) 2026 warns that India is warming fast and questions whether this will it lead to a climate apocalypse. The annual SOE report — the flagship publication of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and Down To Earth — was released last week. The report adds that the Indian landmass was warmer on average by nearly 0.9°C during the previous decade (2015 to 2024) compared to the early 20th century (1901 to 1930). Warming has been uneven, with parts of north India warming as fast as 0.2°C per decade in the past three decades. While warming over the Indian region is muted compared to the present global warming level of about 1.3°C, temperature extremes in India have been on the rise. Most parts of India, except for the Indo-Gangetic plains, have witnessed an increase in “warm days” — defined as days with maximum temperature exceeding the 90th percentile of daily maximum temperatures during the 1995-2014 periods, by up to 5 to 10 days per decade. This is particularly prominent over northeast, Thar-Rajasthan and peninsular India. Concurrently, the frequency of “warm nights” – defined as days with minimum temperature exceeding the 90th percentile of daily minimum temperatures during the 1995-2014 periods — is also on the rise especially over parts of Rajasthan and Gujarat. Consequently, the hottest day of the year in recent years is 1.5-2°C warmer compared to the 1950s over large regions of Western India and the northeast region, the report adds. This means that regions that were experiencing maximum temperatures between higher 30s to lower 40s°C are now experiencing maximum temperatures exceeding 40°C during summertime. This has been accompanied by increased intensity, frequency and duration of heatwaves. The northwest region is experiencing a significant increase in warm days as well as warm nights rendering this region particularly vulnerable to heat stress, especially for outdoor workers. There have been significant changes in monsoon rainfall patterns in India, albeit with wide differences across the country. Large parts of northwest India have experienced an increase in rainfall by 60-120 mm every decade since the 1950s along with an increase in extreme precipitation events, while the Indo-Gangetic region and the northeast exhibit a sharp decrease in rainfall. The report points out that Central India is experiencing an increase in extreme precipitation events (defined as daily precipitation exceeding 150 mm), with prominent increases in coastal Gujarat. There is also an increase in the intensity and frequency of high precipitation events during the northeast monsoon, which mainly affects the peninsular region of the country. Looking to the future, the Indian summer monsoon rainfall is expected to increase by 6-8% by 2050 compared to the recent past (1995-2014) under the moderate emissions scenario. However, Earth System Models still struggle with simulating the intensities of monsoon teleconnections resulting in a large spread in monsoon projections across the models. As a DTE news release states, the 2026 SOE draws attention to another breaching: that of ‘planetary boundaries’. There are nine planetary boundaries identified by researchers: climate change, biosphere integrity, land system change, freshwater change, modification of biogeochemical flows, introduction of novel entities, ocean acidification, atmospheric aerosol loading and stratospheric ozone depletion. Of these nine, humans have “blown past the safe zone” in six (as per 2024 data). The six breached boundaries are climate change, biosphere integrity, land system change, freshwater change, modification of biogeochemical flows and introduction of novel entities. A seventh boundary has now joined the list: that of ocean acidification. The SOE report quotes the latest Planetary Health Check study, which says that ocean acidification, driven by fossil fuel combustion, has increased: surface ocean acidity has gone up by 30-40% since the advent of the industrial era. Rising acidity threatens corals, molluscs and plankton that build calcium carbonate shells or skeletons. In terms of biosphere integrity, extinction rate of species ranges above 100 extinctions per million species years – way above the safe threshold of 10. While the pace of deforestation has slowed, global forest cover has fallen to 59%, well below the 75% safe minimum. Freshwater reserves are in a dire state. Plastics, inadequately tested chemicals and synthetic materials remain a growing threat.

Cities need new model to become resource-efficient, inclusive, and liveable

Cry for my Delhi. This is my city: My family records many generations who have lived here. It is also where I have spent most of my professional career advocating clean air, water, and everything else that we need for basic well-being. We have garbage everywhere; potholes alongside no traffic discipline, with congestion, illegal buildings, and parking woes, which add to the chaos of road management. Our water supply is struggling to keep up with demand; the Yamuna is a forsaken river, and has become a receptacle of sewage instead; and of course, the now infamous unbreathable air. I could go on, but all residents of Delhi know what we are living through. So, we need to ask if the complete, visible, and much-discussed breakdown of urban services that we are witnessing today can be reversed, or if the blight has gone too far. I ask this not to crib about collapsed infrastructure but to ensure that we learn from this experience and do not create another Delhi in India. In other words, we ensure that middle-India cities do not become mega messes as they grow — even implode. This is important. We know that urbanisation will drive the white-collar economy. Today, with the pressures of immigration in the Western world, there is a huge opportunity for young, skilled workers to flourish in India. But they need more than money — they need quality of life for themselves and their children. It is not just about malls, restaurants, and nightlife, but about the basics: Clean water, clean air, education, and housing attract and retain talent. It is about liveable cities. To make this work, we must understand what not to do. The population data for cities is outdated, and planning still depends on the 2011 Census. Yet, we can see the implosion as cities expand into their peripheries. Over two decades ago, at the turn of the millennium, Gurugram sprang up on Delhi’s outskirts. Today, urban extension spreads laterally for miles and grows every day. Smaller towns are becoming big but without planning or services. This is the challenge. What should be done? First: Cities must plan for mobility, not just roads. This is the key as moving people is linked to affordable housing and livelihoods. As cities grow and land prices rise, many cannot afford to buy homes. This then means that the poor — critical to the city’s services sector — look for living in what are euphemistically called “unauthorised” areas, or slums. The tragedy is that in many cases, these lands are the key for the city’s environment, like green areas or catchments of waterbodies. The commute from the periphery, where housing may be cheaper, is either unavailable or just out of reach. The middle class also moves outwards, relying on private transport, which then adds to congestion. The city loses in every way. As cities grow, the most important component of planning, its “spine”, should be transportation — to connect the periphery and enable movement within the city. People should be able to walk, cycle, take buses or the Metro, and, only if necessary, use a car. A modern city should not resemble a gridlocked Delhi or Bengaluru. Then, there is a need for other basic services as well, from education to health care to clean water. These will drive the liveability quotient. But nothing is as important as the enforcement of the master plan. Delhi’s master plan is outdated and, worse, it is practised more in the breach. Most cities in India, and certainly the ones that are growing, do not even have the semblance of a land-use plan, which is then available publicly so that people know what is permitted and what is not. Transparency is the first step to deterrence. The chaos, deliberately born out of this confusion, is visible in Delhi, where illegal encroachments take over roads and public investment in infrastructure is lost. The new-gen city needs management, not populism, which leads to anarchy. This is where the rubber meets the road. We need affordable models of urbanisation, but these will not emerge from permitting everything that is illegal in the name of protecting livelihoods. This will only guarantee chaos and poor services. The bottom line is to focus on the nature of urban governance. We have completely discordant city-governance systems, where representatives are elected and then disabled. They then play with everything that is lucrative, adding to disorder. It is ironic that New Delhi, where the power elite lives, has decided that democracy does not work for it — an authority of officials runs the city. This is fast becoming a model for other newly growing cities. What, then, is best? This is the question that will determine our economic future — nothing less. The nature of urbanisation must be resource-efficient, inclusive, and capable of ensuring livelihood security and all that makes life worth living — from clean water and clean air to playgrounds and schools. Let’s discard the Delhi-style city dreams of the past. Let’s embrace the future. The author is at the Centre for Science and Environment. sunita@cseindia.org, X: @sunitanar

Up close with tigers: Why wild cat attacks on humans are rising

The tiger, India’s national animal, may be a conservation success story in terms of numbers, but a detailed assessment of facts suggests the big cat is adapting in troubling ways to ecological stress, one of them being rising attacks on humans with whom they increasingly share their shrinking habitats. The State of India’s Environment (SOE) Report 2026, prepared by the Delhi-based not-for-profit Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), has concluded that some stark behavioural changes are underway among tiger populations. Drawing on field observations, studies and official data, the report points to increasing human-tiger encounters, resulting from hunting grounds shifting from deep forests to fringes and shared areas, and a growing reliance on livestock in some landscapes.

Delhi Monitors But Much Of India Breaths Without Real-Time Data

Despite advancements in regional monitoring, coverage gaps mean more than 1.2 billion people across small towns, peri-urban belts and rural districts lack access to continuous air quality information, experts said. The 2026 State of India’s Environment report highlights that only about 15 per cent of India’s roughly 1.4 billion people live within 10 km of a real-time air quality monitor. This leaves about 85 per cent outside measurable range, with little to no data on fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen oxides or ozone levels in many densely inhabited regions. This imbalance is particularly stark between megacities and secondary or emerging urban areas. Capital cities such as Delhi and Chandigarh have dense monitoring networks, often tied to active policymaking and emergency response systems. In contrast, rapidly growing population centres in eastern and central India — including districts in Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal — remain poorly represented in the national monitoring grid. Studies show that more than 64 per cent of India’s 742 districts lacked any continuous monitoring station at all, and many medium-sized towns are entirely excluded from real-time data feeds. Urban planners and environmental scientists say these gaps matter because air quality is both spatially and temporally variable. Areas with limited official coverage may experience severe pollution episodes linked to vehicle emissions, industrial activity, construction dust and seasonal crop residue burning — but without monitors, local authorities do not have the data required to issue early warnings or implement targeted mitigation. In Delhi, data quality issues illustrate the complexity of monitoring infrastructure even where coverage appears robust. Analysis of the capital’s network shows that a significant share of its air quality monitors cover less than two-thirds of the city’s area, with some stations placed in greener spaces that may under-report actual pollution levels in adjacent urban zones. The impacts of these monitoring gaps extend beyond data shortfalls. Real-time air quality information drives daily public health advisories, school closure decisions, and activation of graded response action plans during hazardous conditions. Without granular data, smaller cities and peri-urban belts may miss critical warnings, exposing vulnerable populations — particularly children and elderly residents with respiratory conditions — to harmful pollutants without notice. National efforts such as the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) have expanded both manual and continuous air quality monitoring stations across India, aiming to improve spatial coverage and inform state and municipal clean air action plans. As of recent official counts, over 1,200 real-time and manual monitoring units operate in roughly 460 towns, with plans to strengthen and expand the grid further. However, experts argue that expansion must be deliberate and equitable — extending beyond major cities to include mid-tier urban centres, transport corridors and industrial belts where pollution sources are concentrated. Integrating satellite data, low-cost sensors and community-driven networks can help close the gap, but such systems require calibration, standardisation and regulatory support to ensure reliable policy use. Filling the monitoring blind spots is not merely a technical challenge; it is a governance priority. Better air quality data can enable responsive urban planning, safeguard public health and empower local governments to design evidence-based interventions that reduce pollution exposure across India’s diverse urban and rural settlements.

Delhi Monitors, Bihar Breathes Blind: India's Air Pollution Monitoring Network Leaves 1.2 Billion People Uncovered

Every year, certain parts of India experience air pollution that many experts call a public health emergency. In winter, while Delhi NCR chokes and requires 24x7 operation of air purifiers indoors, the weather elsewhere, such as in Hyderabad, stays under breathable norms. Due to India's vast and diverse geography, the emissions and exposures vary dramatically across the country. However, the air pollution monitoring network has failed to keep pace with the scale and complexity of the challenge, claims the 2026 State of India’s Environment report. Sharanjeet Kaur, deputy programme manager at CSE’s (Centre for Science and Environment) Urban Lab and one of the writers of the report, noted that CSE’s analysis showed only 15 per cent of India’s population—about 200 million people—live within 10 km of a continuous monitor, while the remaining 85 per cent, more than 1.2 billion people, breathe outside any measurable range. India relies on two primary systems to monitor air quality. The National Air Quality Monitoring Programme, launched in 1984–85, uses manual stations that record data twice a week, providing long-term averages for a limited set of pollutants. In contrast, the newer Continuous Air Quality Monitoring Stations deliver real-time, hourly readings across multiple pollutants, offering a far more detailed picture of air quality trends. India currently operates 562 real-time monitors across 294 cities and 966 manual stations in 419 cities and towns. Yet, as Sharanjeet Kaur points out, these seemingly impressive figures mask a critical imbalance: monitoring remains heavily concentrated in a handful of large urban centres. Entire districts, industrial belts, and rapidly expanding peri-urban areas still lie beyond the reach of the monitoring grid. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director of research and advocacy at CSE and head of its sustainable urbanisation programmes, observed that the gap in monitoring was not merely about missing information but reflected a deeper structural inequity in India’s environmental governance. She explained that cities equipped with multiple monitors were able to demonstrate progress, secure clean air funding, and frame action plans, whereas hundreds of smaller towns—many facing comparable or even higher levels of particulate pollution—lacked any real-time data altogether.

Rajasthan records over 100 days of extreme weather annually:117 deaths last year, more than 150,000 homes destroyed

Extreme weather has emerged as a grave and persistent challenge across India, with Rajasthan among the worst affected. The term refers to severe and unseasonal climatic events such as heatwaves, cold waves, lightning strikes, storms, cyclones, cloudbursts, floods and landslides. In Rajasthan, the situation has been particularly alarming. Over the past four years, excluding 2023, the state has recorded more than 100 days of extreme weather annually. Each year, such events have claimed over 100 lives. These findings were highlighted in the ‘State of India’s Environment 2026’ report published by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and its magazine Down To Earth. The report issues a stark warning for the country, and especially for Rajasthan.

बाघों को लग रहा इंसानी खून का चस्‍का, र‍िपोर्ट में हुआ ऐसा खुलासा, थर-थर कांपने लगेंगे आप

इंसानों से डरने वाले और जंगली जानवरों का शिकार करने वाले बाघ अब इंसानों को अपना शिकार बना रहे हैं. ये न केवल हमला कर रहे हैं बल्कि इंसानों के मांस को खा भी रहे हैं. भारत के बाघ अभ्यारण्यों के आसपास बाघों के हमले के ये मामले साल-दर साल बढ़ते जा रहे हैं. इसका खुलासा हाल ही में आई सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट की रिपोर्ट 2026 में हुआ है. रिपोर्ट बताती है कि बाघ और इंसानों के बीच का यह संघष न केवल बढ़ रहा है बल्कि डराने वाला भी है. जंगली क्षेत्रों से निकलकर टाइगर अब इंसानी आबादी के बीच पहुंचकर मवेशियों पर भी हमले कर रहे हैं.आंकड़े बताते हैं कि पूरे भारत में जनवरी से जून 2025 के बीच टाइगर रिर्जव्स के पास पास कम से कम 43 लोगों की मौत बाघों के हमले के कारण हुई है. जबकि इसी अवधि में साल 2024 में 44 लोगों ने टाइगर का शिकार बनकर जान गंवाई थी. सबसे विचित्र बात जो 2025 में देखने को मिली वह यह है कि इन 43 शिकारों में से 4 इंसानों के शरीर के कुछ हिस्सों को बाघों ने खा लिया था, जबकि आमतौर पर बाघों को इंसानों का मांस खाने के लिए नहीं जाना जाता. ये बड़ी बिल्लियां इंसानों की गर्दन पर पंजों या मुंह से वार कर मौत के घाट उतारती रही हैं.

Tiger–Human Conflict on the Rise, Finds India’s State of Environment 2026

India’s 2026 State of Environment report reveals a concerning rise in tiger attacks on humans, with at least 43 fatalities recorded between January and June 2025. The report attributes these incidents to ecological changes, habitat degradation, and increased proximity between human settlements and tiger territories. Simultaneously, tiger populations inside reserves are reaching saturation, prompting more frequent movement into areas shared with humans and agricultural activity. According to the report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and Down to Earth magazine, tigers are increasingly preying on humans for sustenance.

State of India’s Environment 2026

The State of India’s Environment (SOE) 2026 report, released by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and Down To Earth, warns that multiple planetary boundaries are being breached due to human activities, while ecological degradation is intensifying human–tiger conflicts across India. What are the Key Highlights of the State of India’s Environment (SOE) 2026 Report? Planetary Boundaries Crisis: The SOE 2026 report warns that 7 of the nine planetary boundaries have been breached, with ocean acidification emerging as the seventh. Breached boundaries include Climate change, Biosphere integrity, Land system change, Freshwater depletion, Biogeochemical flows, Novel entities, and Ocean acidification. Ocean acidification emerging as the seventh, ocean acidity has increased by 30–40% since the industrial era, threatening marine ecosystems. Climate Crisis Escalation: The report highlights that the world is close to breaching the 1.5°C global warming threshold, signalling irreversible climate impacts. Climate disruptions are arriving earlier than predicted, pushing ecosystems like coral reefs and the Amazon rainforest toward critical tipping points. Biodiversity & Forest Decline: Global forest cover has fallen to 59%, far below the 75% safe threshold, while species extinction rates exceed 100 per million species years (ten times the safe limit). Habitat degradation and ecosystem imbalance are accelerating biodiversity loss. Freshwater & Pollution Threats: Freshwater reserves are under severe stress due to overuse and climate change. The proliferation of plastics, synthetic chemicals, and other novel entities poses long-term ecological and health risks, highlighting the growing challenge of pollution. Rising Human–Tiger Conflict: The report notes that habitat loss, prey depletion, and increasing human proximity to forests are altering tiger behaviour and increasing encounters. The invasive plant Lantana camara now occupies nearly 50% of forest and scrublands, suppressing native grasses and reducing prey for tigers. This forces tigers to prey on cattle, increasing human–tiger interactions and conflict. Recommendations Institutional Integrity: Strengthening the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and environmental clearing houses to prioritize ecological substance over procedural paperwork. Sovereign Climate Action: Integrating planetary boundaries into national accounting and shifting toward a technology-led, full-stack decarbonization. Coexistence Models: Moving toward landscape-scale governance that treats local communities as primary stakeholders in conservation rather than obstacles.

भारत में 85 फीसदी आबादी बिना एयर क्वालिटी मॉनिटर के दायरे में, 1.2 अरब लोग ‘अनमापी’ हवा में सांस ले रहे: SOE 2026 रिपोर्ट

1.4 अरब आबादी वाले भारत में जहां प्रदूषण और उसका असर भौगोलिक रूप से बेहद विविध है, वहां वायु प्रदूषण मॉनिटरिंग नेटवर्क समस्या की गंभीरता के साथ तालमेल नहीं बिठा पाया है। सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (CSE) की 2026 की स्टेट ऑफ इंडियाज़ एनवायरनमेंट (SOE 2026) रिपोर्ट में यह चौंकाने वाला खुलासा किया गया है। CSE के अर्बन लैब की डिप्टी प्रोग्राम मैनेजर और रिपोर्ट की सह-लेखक शरणजीत कौर के अनुसार, “हमारे विश्लेषण के मुताबिक, भारत की सिर्फ 15 प्रतिशत आबादी – यानी करीब 20 करोड़ लोग – ही 10 किलोमीटर के दायरे में किसी निरंतर (रीयल-टाइम) मॉनिटर के पास रहते हैं। बाकी 85 प्रतिशत, यानी 1.2 अरब से अधिक लोग, ऐसी हवा में सांस ले रहे हैं जिसकी कोई मापनीय निगरानी नहीं हो रही।”

India’s Air Quality Monitoring Covers Just 15% of India’s Population, Says Report

According to the 2026 State of India’s Environment report, only 15% of India’s population – about 200mn people – live within 10 km of a continuous monitor. The remaining 85% more than 1.2bn people breathe outside any measurable range. India, a country of 1.4bn people where both emissions and exposures vary dramatically across a vast and diverse geography, the monitoring network for air pollution has not kept pace with either the scale or complexity of the problem, says the 2026 State of India’s Environment report. What percentage of India’s population is covered by pollution monitors? Only 15% of Indians are covered by real-time air pollution monitors Summary Summary of this article Only 15% of Indians live near real-time pollution monitors. Over 64% of districts lack continuous air quality monitoring. Monitoring concentrated in metros, leaving smaller towns unrepresented nationwide. India, a country of 1.4bn people where both emissions and exposures vary dramatically across a vast and diverse geography, the monitoring network for air pollution has not kept pace with either the scale or complexity of the problem, says the 2026 State of India’s Environment report. What percentage of India’s population is covered by pollution monitors? Start-up Outperformers 2026 3 February 2026 amazon According to the 2026 State of India’s Environment report, only 15% of India’s population – about 200mn people – live within 10 km of a continuous monitor. The remaining 85% more than 1.2bn people breathe outside any measurable range. Limitations of India’s Air Quality Monitoring Network India has two main sets of infrastructure for monitoring. The National Air Quality Monitoring Programme, launched in 1984-85, relies on manual stations that measure air quality twice a week. They offer long-term averages for a limited set of pollutants. More recently, the country has set up Continuous Air Quality Monitoring Stations, which offer real-time, hourly data across multiple pollutants. Today, India has 562 real-time monitors across 294 cities and 966 manual stations in 419 cities and towns. Kaur points out that these impressive numbers hide the fact that monitoring is concentrated in a limited set of large cities. “Entire districts, industrial belts, and fast-growing peri-urban centres remain outside the monitoring grid,” she says. Anumita Roychowdhury, Executive Director-Research and Advocacy in CSE and Head of CSE’s Sustainable Urbanisation Programmes, stated in the news release, “This gap in monitoring is not just about missing information, but also about the structural inequity in environmental governance in India. Cities with multiple monitors can demonstrate progress, claim clean air funding, and frame their action plans. But hundreds of smaller towns, many of which experience comparable or even higher levels of particulate pollution, have no real-time data at all.”