A recent study published in Lancet Planetary Health reveals alarming statistics about the deadly impact of air pollution in India. According to the report, nearly 33,000 deaths occur annually across 10 major cities in India due to air pollution levels that surpass India’s national clean air standards, which are currently set higher than the World Health Organization’s (WHO) guidelines.
The study, conducted between 2008 and 2019, focused on PM2.5 exposure in cities including Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, Shimla, and Varanasi. It found that even levels of air pollution considered acceptable under Indian standards lead to increased mortality rates.
In these cities, approximately 7.2% of all deaths, totaling around 33,000 annually, were linked to short-term exposure to PM2.5 levels exceeding the WHO guideline of 15 micrograms per cubic meter of air. The report underscores the urgent need for India to align its air quality standards with WHO recommendations to protect public health from the perils of polluted air.
The study highlighted that for every 10 micrograms per cubic meter increase in PM2.5 exposure, there was a significant rise in daily mortality rates. In Delhi, which recorded the highest number of air pollution-related deaths, about 12,000 fatalities annually were attributed to short-term PM2.5 exposure exceeding WHO guidelines.
Varanasi followed with approximately 830 deaths annually, similarly linked to elevated PM2.5 levels. Other cities like Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, and Mumbai also reported thousands of deaths annually due to air pollution, emphasizing the widespread health risks across urban India.
Even in cities with comparatively lower pollution levels like Shimla, the study identified significant health impacts, with air pollution contributing to 3.7% of all deaths annually. This finding underscores the global consensus that no level of air pollution exposure is safe, regardless of the concentration.
The research, led by experts from Sustainable Futures Collaborative, Ashoka University, Centre for Chronic Disease Control, Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, and universities in Harvard and Boston, represents the first comprehensive multi-city study of its kind in India. It aims to raise awareness and advocate for stricter air quality standards and enhanced efforts to combat air pollution nationwide.
The study also noted that even at concentrations below India’s current National Ambient Air Quality Standard of 60 micrograms per cubic meter for 24-hour exposure, the risk of mortality sharply increased, reinforcing the need for more stringent regulatory measures.
As India grapples with the health crisis exacerbated by air pollution, stakeholders and policymakers face mounting pressure to implement effective strategies to mitigate pollution levels and safeguard public health.
