India now holds the questionable title of being the second most polluted country in the world due to alarming levels of air pollution. The health and welfare of India’s 1.3 billion people are significantly impacted by the negative impacts of fine particulate air pollution, specifically PM2.5. A startling 67.4 percent of the population lives in regions that exceed India’s own national air quality standard, and none of the nation’s citizens reside in areas that comply with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) guidelines for particulate pollution.
In India, air pollution has a severe effect on life expectancy. PM2.5 pollution significantly reduces life expectancy compared to the WHO guideline, with an average reduction of 5.3 years. There are places where life expectancy is a startling 11.9 years shorter, like Delhi, the most polluted city in the world and part of the National Capital Territory. Particulate pollution is found to pose a greater threat to public health in India than both malnourishment and cardiovascular diseases.
It is alarming to note that particulate pollution has been rising, rising by 67.7 percent between 1998 and 2021. The average life expectancy has decreased by an additional 2.3 years as a result of this upward trend. Of the total increase in pollution worldwide between 2013 and 2021, India is responsible for 59.1% of it.
There will be catastrophic effects for the most polluted area in the nation, the Northern Plains. Here, 521.2 million people, or 38.9% of India’s total population, are expected to lose an average of 8 years of life expectancy in comparison to WHO recommendations. In comparison to the national average, this region is set to lose 4.5 years if current pollution levels continue.
Urgent and all-encompassing action is needed to address India’s air pollution crisis. The population of Delhi, India’s capital and most populous city, would live an astounding 11.9 years longer if the country’s efforts were in line with the WHO recommendation. Similarly, life expectancy in North 24 Parganas, the second most populous district, may rise by 5.6 years.
With serious consequences for the country’s economy and health, India’s battle with air pollution is a global issue. Air pollution was the cause of 1.67 million deaths in the nation in 2019 alone, or 17.8% of all deaths. When early deaths and morbidity are taken into account, the economic cost comes to an astounding $36.8 billion, or 1.36% of India’s GDP.
The main perpetrator, PM2.5, comes from a variety of sources, such as burning biomass, fossil fuels, and wind-blown dust. Since the upper atmosphere forms more than half of PM2.5 emissions, controlling air pollution necessitates a multi-sectoral and multi-jurisdictional strategy. The idea of a “airshed,” which is a region with a common airflow, becomes important when controlling sources of pollution that cross state and local boundaries.
Standardized instruments and coordinated efforts throughout India are essential to an airshed-based management strategy. Given the severity of the air pollution problem, attention needs to be diverted from cities to the sub-national level, with a focus on teamwork and data-driven decision-making.
The impact of air pollution on India’s health and economy demands immediate attention and collective action. Implementing effective control strategies, embracing an airshed-based approach, and fostering collaboration on a national scale are imperative for mitigating the silent but deadly threat of air pollution in India.
