Air quality study highlights nitrogen dioxide pollution in rural India

An analysis of satellite data shows that, on average, rural areas account for 41% of India’s nitrogen dioxide pollution. In some cases, rural pollution levels are nearly equal to the levels observed in urban areas. ‘We usually think atmospheric pollution exists only in cities,’ explains Mansi Pathak, from the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur. ‘However, our analysis suggests that it is high time to shift our focus to rural regions and examine the pollution levels and health of rural India. This is of paramount importance for a country like India, as we have about 67% of the country’s population in its rural areas as of 2020.’