The State of Environment in Indian Cities survey attempts to assess what average Indians living in big cities think about India's environment, and to gauge their levels of awareness, attitudes, perception and concerns. The findings are based on interviews among 1,732 respondents spread across 36 locations in six cities--Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi, Calcutta, Bangalore and Hyderabad--chosen to adequately represent both genders, different age and income groups, and localities in each city.

Highlights

• 77% of urban Indians consider environmental pollution the most serious problem of urban life, second only to inflation 82%.

• Air pollution is considered the biggest problem 34% followed by lack of green cover 21%, water pollution 17%, noise pollution 14% and garbage disposal 11%.

• 77% want the government to tackle river pollution but there is widespread unawareness of what causes the problem. Only 5% of people are aware that household sewage flows into the river.

• While 94% of people favour a law banning the use of polythene bags, 17% still use them for shopping.

• 10% of people dispose of their garbage in the nearest ditch or on the road, only 13% regularly separate recyclable waste from garbage

• 86% favour a law banning use of diesel engines in private vehicles

• Among upper income groups, 30% had solar heaters, 42% had power-saving devices and 30% had set up means of rainwater harvesting. In contrast, only 11% of people in lower-income groups had solar heaters and 14% had power-saving devices or set up rainwater harvesting devices.

• Most people believe that pollution will increase over the next five years, with 77% believing that air pollution will increase, 71% that noise pollution will rise, and 55% that water pollution will increase.