Tamil Nadu has seen a steady decline in air pollution in urban and rural areas between 2017 and 2022, a recent study has found.
The State has recorded a 22% reduction in fine particulate matter over the five-year period, observed Climate Trends, an environmental think-tank. Fine particulate matter is defined as particles that are 2.5 microns or less in diameter (PM 2.5).
The study was done through two methods - a satellite-based application by the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi and the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) ground monitoring networks. In Tamil Nadu’s rural areas, the PM 2.5 level dropped from 46.6㎍/m3 (microgram per cubic metre) in 2017 to 32.9㎍/m3 in 2022. Whereas in urban places, the PM 2.5 levels were 42.7 ㎍/m3 in 2017 and 33.1 ㎍/m3 last year.
