A recent study found that over seven per cent of deaths in India’s ten largest cities are linked to air pollution. This has led researchers to call for action to save thousands of lives yearly.
Indian cities, including Delhi, face some of the worst air pollution globally, severely impacting residents’ health.
The study, conducted by an Indian-led team, examined the levels of PM2.5 pollutants in cities like Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, Shimla, and Varanasi.
From 2008 to 2019, PM2.5 exposure above the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommended limit of 15 micrograms per cubic meter led to over 33,000 deaths yearly. This accounted for 7.2 per cent of recorded deaths in these cities.
Delhi was the worst affected, with 12,000 annual deaths linked to air pollution. Even cities with lower pollution levels, such as Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai, experienced high death rates.
Researchers urged India to strengthen its air quality standards. Currently, India’s limit is 60 micrograms of PM2.5 per cubic meter, which is four times higher than the WHO’s guideline.
According to Joel Schwartz, co-author of the study, lowering and enforcing the limit will save tens of thousands of lives per year.
Methods for controlling pollution exist and are used elsewhere. India urgently needs to apply them, he added.
The WHO reports that almost everyone on Earth breathes in more air pollution than recommended, which can cause strokes, heart disease, lung cancer, and other respiratory issues.
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