Air Pollution Killing Indians Faster; Traffic Congestion Making Them Sick, Show Studies

Pollution is killing us much faster, data show. According to a report recently released by US-based organisation Health Effects Institute (HEI), overall long-term exposure to outdoor and indoor air pollution contributed to nearly 50 lakh deaths from stroke, diabetes, heart attack, lung cancer and chronic lung disease in 2017 and majority of them were in India and China. Of these, over 12 lakh deaths were directly attributed to PM2.5 levels in India — 51.4 per cent were below the age of 70 years.

Another study published in the Lancet Planetary Health journal says traffic-related pollution caused asthma among 3.5 lakh children in India in 2015, second only to China. With 92 per cent of cases developing in areas that have traffic pollution levels below the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline level, the researcher suggest that this limit may need to be reviewed. According to the report, no Indian state achieves pollution levels at or below the WHO’s limits.

Also Read: Indian Cities Amongst The Most Polluted: WHO

In November last year, a report in The Washington Post said people in India had their life expectancy cut short up to 12 years due to air pollution. The Lancet Planetary Health in 2018 also revealed that at least 12.5 per cent of deaths in India in 2017 were caused by severe air pollution. 

The largest contributor

A recent report by the United Nations titled the Global Environment Outlook  stated that one in four premature deaths worldwide was due to man-made pollution and environmental damage.  

Deadly smog-inducing emissions, chemicals polluting drinking water and the accelerating destruction of ecosystems crucial to the livelihoods of billions of people were driving a worldwide epidemic that hampered the global economy, the UN report said. 

The policy change

To combat pollution across the country, the Indian government launched the National Clean Air Programme in January, which chalks national-level strategy to prevent, control and abatement of air pollution and improve the air quality by implementing the action plan. From promoting cleaner fuel to boost to electric vehicles, there have been a lot of policy changes of which the impact is yet to be seen. Other moves such as controlling greenhouse gas emissions and pesticide use can significantly improve air and water quality.

While the Clean India mission has improved the sanitary conditions in rural India, which is the most affected because of lack of proper toilets and garbage disposal system, the exact outcome will be known only at a later stage.

Also Read: List of least polluted cities in India