Study: Due to Rising Air Pollution, Age of 40% of Indians May Decrease By 9 Years

The situation of continuously increasing pollution in India is getting worse. A report released on Wednesday by the Energy Policy Institute (EPIC) of the University of Chicago claimed that 40 per cent of Indians' life expectancy could be reduced by more than nine years due to air pollution
Image Credit: Amar Ujala
Image Credit: Amar Ujala

The situation of continuously increasing pollution in India is getting worse. It is also affecting the age of Indians. A report released on Wednesday by the Energy Policy Institute (EPIC) of the University of Chicago claimed that 40 percent of Indians' life expectancy could be reduced by more than nine years due to air pollution.

More than 48 crore people are facing high levels of air pollution in Central, Eastern, and North India

According to the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI), India has a growing geographically high level of air pollution over time. The air quality in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra has deteriorated rapidly. More than 48 crore people living in the regions of Central, Eastern, and North India are facing the high levels of air pollution that no other country is doing.

The report praises India's NCAP program, which will increase life expectancy by 1.7 years

The report lauded India's National Clean Air Program (NCAP) launched in 2019 to curb dangerous pollution levels, saying that achieving and maintaining its target would result in the country's overall life expectancy of 1.7 years and New Delhi will increase by 3.1 years.

NCAP aims to tighten regulations for transportation and biomass burning by ensuring reductions in industrial emissions and vehicular pollution. Also, dust pollution has to be reduced by 20 to 30 percent in the 102 most-affected cities by 2024.

When Delhiites breathed in clean air

To know the rising pollution levels, IQAir has released the World Air Quality Report for 2020. In this, Delhi is included in the most polluted cities of the world. However, last year due to the pandemic lockdown and other restrictions saw a drop in pollution levels in many cities, during which 20 million people of Delhi breathed the cleanest air in summer. However, in winter, Punjab and Haryana had to deal with toxic air due to stubble burning.

Pollution is not limited to the areas of the Ganges valley

Image Credit: Daily Excelsior
Image Credit: Daily Excelsior

According to the report, compared to two decades ago, pollution is no longer confined to the Ganges valley alone. As pollution is increasing in states like Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, the average life expectancy of residents is decreasing by an additional 2.5 to 2.9 years compared to the year 2000.

The terrible situation even in these countries

Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan are among the most polluted countries on earth in South Asia. About a quarter of the world's population lives here. They have consistently remained in the top 5 most polluted countries in the world.

Age can be increased by 5.4 years

According to the report, if the pollution in India can be reduced according to the standards of the World Health Organization (WHO), then the average life expectancy can increase by 5.4 years. EPIC says that during 2019, the presence of polluting fine particulates in the air in India averaged 70.3 micrograms per cubic meter, which is the highest in the world and 7 times higher than the WHO's 10 micrograms per cubic meter.

Concrete policies are necessary on every front

The biggest impact of air pollution is in South Asia. However, the governments of the region are now understanding the seriousness of the problem. For Clean Air That Long Life NCAP of India, the formation of the Air Quality Management Commission in the National Capital Region is an important step. Fossil fuels are a global problem. For this, concrete policies are needed.

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