Air pollution snapped lifespan of those living in Maha by 3.6 years

Nagpur: All of India’s 1.3 billion people are living in areas where the annual average particulate pollution level exceeds the safe limit set by the World Health Organization (WHO). According to the latest data of the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI), 67.4% of the population is residing in areas which surpass the country’s own national air quality standard of 40 micrograms per cubic meter (mpcm).

Measured in terms of life expectancy, particulate pollution has been found to be the greatest threat to human health in India, taking 5.3 years off the life of the average Indian and 3.6 years of those residing in Maharashtra.

India has emerged the second-most polluted country in the world after Bangladesh and Delhi, the most polluted city in the world. As a result, life expectancy in Delhi is down by 11.9 years. Among other cities which fare worse are Gurugram — 11.2 years, Faridabad — 10.8 years, Jaunpur — 10.1 years, Lucknow and Kanpur — 9.7 years, Muzaffarpur (Bihar) — 9.2 years, Prayagraj — 8.8 years and Patna — 8.7 years.

“In contrast, cardiovascular diseases reduce the average Indian’s life expectancy by about 4.5 years, while child and maternal malnutrition reduce life expectancy by 1.8 years,” the fact sheet for India stated.

AQLI is a tool which converts air pollution concentrations into their impact on life expectancy and has been developed by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC). The findings further highlighted that in no other location on the planet is the deadly impact of pollution more visible than in South Asia which is home to the four most polluted countries in the world. These include Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan where residents are expected to lose about 5 years off their lives on average if the current high levels of pollution persist.

As per it, particulate pollution has increased over time; from 1998 to 2021, average annual particulate pollution increased by 67.7%, further reducing average life expectancy by 2.3 years. “From 2013 to 2021, 59.1 percent of the world’s increase in pollution has come from India. In the most polluted region of the country—the Northern Plains—521.2 million residents or 38.9% of India’s population are on track to lose 8 years of life expectancy on average relative to the WHO guideline and 4.5 years relative to the national standard if current pollution levels persist,” the factsheet added.

“The impact of PM2.5 on global life expectancy is comparable to that of smoking, more than 3 times that of alcohol use and unsafe water, more than 5 times that of transport injuries like car crashes, and more than 7 times that of HIV/AID,” said the EPIC’s report.

A press release by EPIC highlighted that most of the impact on global life expectancy is concentrated in just six countries including Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, China, Nigeria and Indonesia. “People lose one to more than six years off their lives in these nations because of the air they breathe. For the last five years, the AQLI’s local information on air quality and its health consequences has generated substantial media and political coverage, but there is an opportunity to complement this annual information with more frequent—for example, daily—and locally generated data,” said Michael Greenstone, the Milton Friedman Distinguished Service Professor in Economics and creator of the AQLI.

IN A NUTSHELL

India’s 1.3 billion people living in areas exceeding particulate pollution

Particulate pollution greatest threat to human health, taking 5.3 years off the life of the average Indian

From 1998 to 2021, average annual particulate pollution increased by 67.7 %

From 2013 to 2021, 59.1% of the world’s increase in pollution came from India

Availability of reliable, timely and ready-to-use data on air pollution is one area where India can make improvements


Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, Location Guesser and Mini Crossword.