While most of the world breathes unsafe air, two years away from global life expectancy, the report said air pollution is the biggest threat to human health in India, reducing life expectancy by five years while child and maternal malnutrition reduces it by about 1. 8 years and smoking is reduced on average by 1.5 years.
According to the AQLI, in the Gangetic plains of northern India, 510 million residents, about 40% of India’s population, are on track to lose an average life expectancy of 7.6 years if current pollution levels persist. In the case of Delhi, the world’s most polluted capital, people will lose 10 years of their lives in the usual business scenario of not complying with the new WHO standards.
India launched its National Clean Air Program (NCAP) in 2019, which aims to reduce particulate pollution by 20-30% relative to 2017 levels by 2024. NCAP Goals are non-binding.
“However, if India were to achieve and maintain this shortfall, it would lead to significant health improvements. A permanent, nationwide reduction of 25% in the middle of the NCAP target range, according to the AQLI, would reduce India’s average national life expectancy to 1.4. years and will extend up to 2.6 years for residents of the National Capital Region of Delhi,” the report said.
Analyzing the data up to 2020, the EPIC report states that India has accounted for nearly 44% of the world’s pollution since 2013, and notes that air pollution in the south continues to rise Asia – World’s most affected region – during the first year of the pandemic despite the COVID lockdown. Since 1998, India’s average annual particulate pollution (PM 2.5) has increased by more than 61 percent.
In 2019, over 7 million deaths annually were linked to exposure to various pollutants in the world, with analysts claiming that PM 2 is the cause of nearly 80% of deaths. 5 risk. Of all the classical air pollutants, inhalable PM 2.5 is considered the most dangerous as it accumulates in the lungs through breathing and causes severe respiratory problems.
EPIC’s AQLI converts air pollution concentrations into their effect on life expectancy, noting that the effect of air pollution on life expectancy is comparable to that of smoking, more than three times that of alcohol use and unsafe water, to HIV/AIDS. More than six times, and 89 times that of conflict and terrorism.
Referring to the new benchmark, the EPIC report said that the entire Indian population lives in areas where annual average particulate pollution levels exceed WHO guidelines. “More than 63% of the population lives in areas that exceed the country’s own national air quality standard of 40 µg/m3,” noting that Indians would benefit 1.6 years if its national standards were met. is done.
“Now that our understanding of the impact of pollution on human health has improved, there is a strong case for governments to prioritize this as an urgent policy issue,” says Hista Hasankoff, director of AQLI.