Urbanization is reshaping the way people live, work, and interact with their environment. While cities are centres of opportunity and growth, they also generate complex environmental challenges that directly influence public health and quality of life. Air pollution, waste accumulation, noise exposure, and inadequate infrastructure often remain unnoticed in daily routines, yet their cumulative impact is profound. Large-scale studies frequently highlight these issues at a national level, but they rarely capture the micro-level realities experienced within specific neighbourhoods, workplaces, and civic systems.
To address this gap, The Green Pillar, in collaboration with our impact partner Prasiddhi Forest Foundation, initiated a research project to examine how everyday urban behaviours, business practices, and governance decisions collectively shape the micro-environmental health in Indian cities.
Contributors to the Research
The surveys engaged a diverse pool of stakeholders to capture a comprehensive view of urban environmental health. These included 50 healthcare professionals, from doctors, pharmacists, dispensary staff, to public health workers, who offered frontline perspectives on the health impacts of environmental conditions. Another survey reflected the voice of the younger demographic, with 60% students, 25% working professionals, and 15% educators or researchers. We also spoke with business owners, freelancers, and service sector workers, shedding light on sustainability practices within small enterprises. Finally, a governance-focused survey included a sample of 54 respondents, comprising 27 government employees, 15 police officers, and 12 architects, providing insights into policy implementation, enforcement, and urban planning. Collectively, these respondents created a multi-stakeholder lens through which the research identified both shared challenges and sector-specific realities.
Awareness Versus Action
In one of the research studies conducted by PFF, 92% of the people we surveyed told us they were aware of major environmental issues like poor air quality, waste mismanagement, and climate change. Yet only 22% had ever participated in a clean-up drive, awareness campaign, or any sustainability initiative. This gap between knowing and doing is where our cities lose momentum in the fight for cleaner air, healthier neighbourhoods, and a sustainable future.
Key Insights from the Survey
Our research revealed that everyday urban behaviours have a direct impact on public health. These behaviours, when combined with weak infrastructure and seasonal environmental shifts, are driving a range of health concerns across urban India. Healthcare professionals, residents, and frontline workers all highlighted the growing burden of diseases linked to environmental conditions.
Common Health Issues Identified
- Respiratory Problems: Air pollution and excessive dust contribute to asthma, COPD, and frequent lung infections. Seasonal smog, particularly during winter, worsens breathing difficulties and increases hospital visits.
- Heat-Related Illnesses: Rising urban temperatures, lack of green cover, and heat-trapping built environments have led to growing cases of heatstroke, dehydration, and exhaustion during summers.
- Skin Conditions: Rashes, fungal infections, and irritation are increasingly linked to polluted water, unclean surroundings, and humid environments during the monsoon.
- Gastrointestinal Issues: Contaminated water and poor waste disposal practices have resulted in frequent stomach infections, diarrhoea, and other waterborne illnesses.
- Cardiovascular Conditions: Long-term exposure to noise, stress, and air pollution is associated with hypertension, irregular heartbeat, and increased risks of heart-related ailments.
- Mental Health Issues: Stress, anxiety, and sleep disruption are becoming common outcomes of constant exposure to noise pollution, overcrowding, and light pollution in urban areas.
These recurring conditions underscore the hidden but very real cost of unchecked urban environmental behaviours, turning everyday city life into a constant health risk.
Air Quality: The Universal Concern
Across all groups, some patterns emerged with striking clarity. Air pollution topped the list of environmental health concerns. Residents cited breathing difficulties and an increase in asthma or allergy cases, healthcare professionals linked poor air quality to seasonal spikes in respiratory illnesses, and small businesses reported fatigue and dust-related discomfort in workplaces. Policymakers recognised air as a priority area, yet acknowledged that dust pollution remains neglected despite its visibility.
Data Highlights
- 40% of households reported asthma or allergies.
- Seasonal spikes in respiratory illnesses during winter smog.
- Traffic-related emissions and excessive dust as key contributors.
Waste Management: A Persistent Challenge
Waste management was another consistent theme, from overflowing drains in residential areas to unsegregated waste from commercial hubs; the problem cuts across sectors. Waste segregation rates varied – higher in households, lower in businesses – but enforcement and municipal follow-through were lacking everywhere. In smaller cities, awareness was present, but facilities to support proper disposal were minimal.
Data Highlights
- 78% of respondents reported segregating their waste into biodegradable and non-biodegradable categories.
- Unclean water and poor waste disposal contributed to gastrointestinal distress.
- Monsoon seasons brought spikes in waterborne illnesses and skin infections.
Noise Pollution: The Overlooked Health Hazard
Noise pollution repeatedly appeared as an underestimated yet highly impactful public health concern. While residents pointed to its effects on sleep and daily well-being, frontline workers such as traffic police described its toll on long-term hearing and mental health. Healthcare professionals further reinforced the connection between noisy environments and chronic stress. Despite this, noise control continues to receive limited policy attention, leaving vulnerable groups without adequate protection.
Data Highlights
- Over 60% of residents reported sleep disruption due to noise.
- Traffic police officers reported hearing loss, fatigue, and mental stress from prolonged exposure.
- Healthcare professionals linked noisy environments to increased stress and hypertension.
ss. Despite this, noise control continues to receive limited policy attention, leaving vulnerable groups without adequate protection.
Barriers to Effective Action
Despite growing awareness of environmental issues, several recurring barriers prevented individuals, businesses, and institutions from translating knowledge into consistent action:
- High cost of eco-friendly alternatives.
- Limited time and resources to engage in community drives or campaigns.
- Inadequate infrastructure for waste management, recycling, and sanitation in smaller cities.
- Weak enforcement of environmental policies, with gaps between policy intent and implementation.
- Lack of incentives to adopt sustainable practices.
- Insufficient awareness programs targeted at businesses and local communities.
- The delayed integration of experts like architects into city planning is limiting effective solutions.
- Population pressures and funding shortages are cited by government employees as major structural hurdles.
Recommendations
Drawing from the collective insights of residents, healthcare professionals, businesses, and policymakers, several actionable recommendations emerged to address the interconnected challenges of urban environmental health:
Policy and Governance
- Strengthen regulatory frameworks by enforcing eco-certifications for small and mid-scale businesses, ensuring that sustainability is embedded in everyday operations rather than remaining voluntary.
- Mandate waste segregation and pollution audits at both household and commercial levels, supported by transparent monitoring systems.
- Integrate expert voices earlier in city planning, including architects and healthcare professionals, to ensure health and sustainability considerations are part of infrastructure design.
- Enhance accountability mechanisms, ensuring that policies like Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Graded Response Action Plan, and Solid Waste Management Initiatives are implemented effectively at the local level.
Economic and Educational Support
- Offer subsidies and tax incentives on green alternatives such as biodegradable packaging, solar panels, and electric vehicles, making eco-friendly practices more affordable.
- Promote workplace training and local workshops on sustainability, tailored to SMEs, service providers, and community groups that often lack structured awareness opportunities.
- Embed environmental literacy in education, from early schooling to higher education, through project-based learning and curriculum integration that links theory to practice.
- Launch low-cost awareness campaigns in urban and peri-urban communities, using local languages, cultural references, and digital platforms to improve outreach.
Infrastructure and Community Action
- Invest in resilient infrastructure by installing storm drains, noise buffers, water-saving devices, and dust-control mechanisms in rapidly urbanising areas.
- Expand green cover in cities through structured urban greening programs, tree-planting drives, and preservation of existing ecosystems to improve air quality and reduce heat stress.
- Encourage community-led initiatives, empowering residents, students, and local influencers to model eco-friendly practices such as waste segregation, cycling, or water conservation.
- Strengthen healthcare-environment linkages by training doctors, pharmacists, and frontline health workers to provide preventive advice on environmental health risks.
Bridging Micro and Macro Perspectives
Our on-ground research offers a granular, localised view of how everyday behaviours, ranging from waste disposal to noise exposure, directly shape environmental health in Indian cities. While large-scale studies at the macro level underline the broader risks of rapid urbanisation, our micro-level insights validate these findings with lived realities from households, workplaces, and civic systems. Together, these perspectives bridge the gap between global sustainability concerns and the everyday experiences of urban communities.
- At a macro level, a WHO case study reveals that cities consume over two-thirds of global energy and produce more than 60% of greenhouse gas emissions, with heat island effects raising urban temperatures by 3-5°C. PFF’s micro-level findings reflected this reality, as residents reported heatstroke and dehydration, and healthcare professionals noted seasonal spikes in heat-related illnesses.
- A case study published on ResearchGate found that rapid urbanisation in India has overburdened solid waste management systems, resulting in uncontrolled dumping and limited institutional capacity. PFF’s study reflected a similar pattern: while 78% of households practised waste segregation, residents linked inadequate disposal and overflowing drains to gastrointestinal and skin-related illnesses.
- A global case study by Zurich projects that by 2050, nearly 70% of the world’s population will reside in cities, leading to mounting health burdens and infrastructure stress. PFF’s study also noted government employees attributing challenges to funding shortfalls, architects highlighting delayed involvement in planning, and residents pointing to weak enforcement and infrastructure gaps.
Conclusion
These findings make it clear that India’s urban environmental health crisis is not the result of isolated issues, but rather the outcome of deeply interconnected gaps in awareness, behaviour, infrastructure, and governance. Air pollution, waste mismanagement, and noise pollution are not simply environmental problems; they are public health issues with direct consequences on respiratory health, mental well-being, and overall quality of life. Addressing one challenge in isolation will never be enough; what is required is an integrated approach that combines education, policy reform, infrastructure development, and community action.
TGP and PFF’s Commitment
This project stands as a testament to the power of youth-driven research and collaboration. The Green Pillar extends its gratitude to the dedicated interns – Agam, Arjun, Daksh, Kashvi, Drishti, Nihita, and Sameer – who undertook this research while undergoing The Changemaker Internship as students of UPES College. Their fieldwork and surveys captured insights from residents, students, healthcare professionals, businesses, and policymakers, adding micro-level perspectives that large-scale studies often miss.
At The Green Pillar, such research projects are never just exercises in data collection; they are the foundation for real, targeted action. Through our impact partner, the Prasiddhi Forest Foundation, we empower young changemakers to turn findings like these into on-ground initiatives, from waste segregation drives and awareness workshops to tree plantations and sustainable urban solutions.
We believe that building healthier, more resilient cities is not the responsibility of one sector alone but a shared mission for residents, professionals, institutions, and governments alike. That’s why we call upon students, colleges, and institutes to collaborate with us in creating research-driven, action-oriented sustainability projects.
If you want to be part of this journey, we invite you to join our global tribe, #HealOurEarth, and co-create sustainable futures for generations to come. To explore internships, collaborations, or partnerships, reach out to us at communications@thegreenpillar.com.
