Editorial: India chokes
The latest global report on the state of air pollution has an ominous warning for India. Nearly 93% of the country’s population is living in areas where PM2.5 (Particulate Matter of 2.5 micrometre diameter) pollution levels are worse than even the lowest bracket of the World Health Organization’s new air quality standards. Contrary to the Centre’s claims that annual air pollution levels are coming down, India has been recording a steady spike in the PM 2.5 pollution over the last few years. According to the US-based Health Effects Institute’s report on the global air quality standards, Indians lose 1.5 years of their life expectancy due to exposure to bad air. This is higher than the reduction in life expectancy from all cancers. The WHO had tightened its air quality standards last year, lowering the safe annual average PM2.5 exposure level to 5 micrograms per cubic metres from the previous level of 10 mg/cu m. This was done following mounting evidence that air pollution had far greater health impacts than earlier known. The report found that no country in the world was able to meet the newly recommended average annual PM2.5 exposure levels.
With poor air quality emerging as the single most dangerous risk to public health, the issue brooks no delay as far as India is concerned. Anti-pollution measures must be monitored on a real-time basis to ensure desired results at the ground level. At the same time, there is a need for a strong push towards the behavioural change of citizens to make a real difference to the situation. India is currently ranked as the fifth most impacted country in terms of air pollution. On average, more than 40% of the world’s population lives in areas where ozone levels exceeded the least stringent target set by the WHO. Studies of air pollution provide compelling evidence that long-term exposure to air pollution contributes to increased mortality risk and significant loss of life expectancy — two or more years in highly polluted areas. However, life expectancy can be improved once again with sustained reductions in air pollution levels. The Particulate Matter of 2.5 micrometre diameter is considered the most hazardous as it gets deposited in the lungs and causes serious respiratory problems. Less developed countries face the double burden of PM2.5 air pollution from the burning of fossil fuels as well as indoor fires for cooking and heating. Air pollution is a leading risk factor for deaths and disability around the world and in 2019 alone, exposure to air pollution was linked to 6.7 million deaths. The problem of air pollution cannot be solved overnight. With the National Clean Air Programme and introduction of BS-VI emission standards, India has just made a beginning to improve air quality and it is critical that the efforts are continued and expanded.
