How toxic Delhi air takes 12 years of your life

Air pollution is shortening lives by 11.9 years in India's national capital Delhi, revealed a report on Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) released on August 29 by the Energy Policy Institute at University of Chicago (EPIC). Delhi, it added, is the most polluted city in the world.Compare this with the figure from 2021 – when the estimated average lifespan lost to pollution was 9.7 years in Delhi. In just two years, it has climbed to 11.9 years. That's your life shortening by nearly 12 years.Dire warning for Delhi“In the most polluted region of the Northern Plains — Delhi — 18 million residents are on track to lose 11.9 years of life expectancy on average relative to the WHO [World Health Organisation] guideline of 5 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m3 ) and 8.5 years relative to the national guideline of 40 µg/m3 if current pollution levels persist,” said the report. medium nocaption103250339The analysis said if PM2.5 levels can meet WHO standards, life expectancy of the National Capital Region (NCR) residents would increase by 11.2 years in Gurgaon, 10.8 years in Faridabad, 11.2 years in GB Nagar, 10.6 years in Ghaziabad, 9.7 years in Baghpat and 9.5 years in Rohtak.EPIC releases the impact of air pollution on life expectancy every year. The latest report takes 2021 as the base year. Delhi’s PM2.5 levels were 126.5 µg/m3 in 2021 as against 111.6 µg/m3 in 2020 and 124.41 µg/m3 in 2019. WHO revised its guidelines in 2021 and PM2.5’s safe limit was reduced from 15 µg/m3 to 5 µg/m3. The 2022 report, taking lockdown year 2020 as the base, said an average Delhiite would lose 10.4 years if WHO guidelines were not met.“The estimates are worse than last year’s because the annual PM2.5 levels in this analysis are higher than the previous report. It’s not an indication of actual change in life expectancy from year to year, but rather a projection of how life expectancy could be affected if pollution levels remain the same, based on that year’s PM2.5 data,” said Christa Hasenkopf, director of AQLI and air quality programmes at EPIC.The Northern Plains is worst offDelhi was among the seven states and UTs comprising the majority of Northern Plains — the others being Bihar, Chandigarh, Haryana, Punjab, UP and West Bengal – that face the greatest health burden due to particulate pollution in the country. medium nocaption103233977“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 report said.In the graphic below, you can see the potential gain in life expectancy from reducing PM2.5 concentrations from 2021 levels to the WHO guidelines in 10 of the most-polluted districts of north India. In the country’s second-most populous district after Delhi – North 24 Parganas in West Bengal – residents would gain 5.6 years of life expectancy. medium103233830Although the estimates are alarming, Avinash Chanchal, climate campaign manager, Greenpeace India, said, “The report provides hope that meeting WHO guidelines could save billions of life years. Air pollution is one of the most significant threats to human health, and CPCB [Central Pollution Control Board] must act urgently to revise national ambient air quality standards and set ambitious targets to reduce pollutants at the source.”Overall, we’re losing 5.3 years of our lifeAccording to the report, India is the world’s second-most polluted country. From 2013 to 2021, 59.1% of the world’s increase in pollution has come from India. medium103233580Measured in terms of life expectancy, particulate pollution (PM2.5) is the greatest threat to human health in India, taking 5.3 years off the life of the average Indian relative to what it would be if the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m3 was met. 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. medium nocaption103233945According to the report, all of India’s 1.3bn people live in areas where the annual average particulate pollution level exceeds the WHO guideline, although some areas are better than others.Some 67.4% of the population live in areas that exceed the country’s own national air quality standard of 40 µg/m3But despite warnings of dire consequences, particulate pollution in the country 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. Don’t die because of toxic airThe findings should be a wake-up for all Indians, but especially for the residents of Delhi. If in two years the estimated lifespan of a Delhi resident lost to pollution has increased by two years – from 9.7 years to 11.9 years – this only means that the city is fighting a losing battle against toxic air and the situation is getting worse.Authorities must get into mission mode and devise workable solutions, both short-term and long-term. The citizens of Delhi cannot be allowed to die by breathing foul air.