Facing an air pollution epidemic, India has its eyes set on an electric future. With a flurry of proposals from both the centre and various state governments, questions over the implementation of this relatively new technology arise. This article looks into the feasibility in the implementation of electric vehicles, both from a conceptual level and an India-specific context.
By Jacob Thamarappally,
India is currently in the midst of a full-blown air pollution crisis. While pictures of entire cities engulfed in dense smog might garner national sympathy, albeit for a few weeks, a further inquisition into the numbers paints an even more harrowing picture. In India, the annual death toll from air pollution currently exceeds 1.6 million every year. Lung cancer is now the second largest cause of death after cardiovascular diseases, and it is increasingly affecting younger people as well as non-smokers. And while worldwide air pollution is ever on the rise, India has proved itself to be the epicentre of the crisis. The fact that 11 out of the 12 most polluted cities are located in India, as reported by the World Health Organization, is a testament to the scale of India’s precarious situation.
Jacob Thamarappally is a Research Intern at CPPR. Views expressed by the author is personal and need not reflect or represent the views of Centre for Public Policy Research.