CBSE 2026 · Region 4 · Set 1 · Q34

Read the following text carefully :

According to the $\displaystyle 2021$ World Air Quality Report, India is home to $\displaystyle 63$ of the $\displaystyle 100$ most polluted cities. The study also found that PM $\displaystyle 2$⋅$\displaystyle 5$ concentration (tiny particles in the air that are $\displaystyle 2$⋅$\displaystyle 5$ micrometres or smaller in length) in $\displaystyle 48$% of the country’s cities are more than $\displaystyle 10$ times higher than the WHO’s air quality guidelines level. Undoubtedly, this has made air pollution as one of the most pressing environmental issues in India.

Vehicular emission, industrial waste, cooking smoke, the construction sector, crop burning and power generation are among the biggest sources of air pollution in India. The country’s dependence on coal, oil and gas due to rampant electrification makes it the world’s the largest polluter, contributing over $\displaystyle 2$⋅$\displaystyle 65$ billion metric tonnes of carbon to the atmosphere every year.

In $\displaystyle 2021$, India was among the world’s most polluted countries, second only to Bangladesh. The annual average PM $\displaystyle 2$⋅$\displaystyle 5$ level in India was about $\displaystyle 58$⋅$\displaystyle 1$ μg/m³ in 2021.

Scientists have linked persistent exposure to PM $\displaystyle 2$⋅$\displaystyle 5$ to many long-term health issues including heart and lung disease, as well as $\displaystyle 7$⋅$\displaystyle 5$ million premature deaths each year.

On the basis of the above passage and common understanding, answer the following questions :

(a)

State any four sources of air pollution in India.

(b)

Discuss briefly the adverse impacts of rising levels of PM $\displaystyle 2$⋅$\displaystyle 5$ particles in the air.

(c)

State the full form of CPCB.