No Indian city meets WHO air quality standards: Lancet study claims
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New Delhi: Just as the national capital is struggling from air pollution, a study published in Lancet Planet Health claims that no city in the country has pollution below the levels recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), The Indian Express reported.
It is reported that high levels of PM2.5 was linked to 1.5 million deaths a year showcasing the alarming situation of air pollution.
The study found that 81.9% of the Indian population live in places with air quality not meeting India’s National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) of 40 µg/m³ of PM2.5, which is much higher than 5µg/m³ recommended by WHO.
There would still have been 0.3 million deaths from long terms exposure to air pollution, even if air quality met these standards.
Dr Dorairaj Prabhakaran, one of the authors of the paper said that there should be ‘pro-active measures’ to tackle pollution through identifying and addressing sources whether it is construction, vehicular pollution, crop burning, and construction.
‘ Even if we are able to bring the levels of particulate matter to the NAAQS, it will reduce the number of deaths, albeit in smaller numbers than if we were able to bring it to the WHO levels,’ Dr Dorairaj Prabhakaran added.
Air pollution levels especially at PM2.5 will affect not just respiratory system but raises the risk of heart attack, stroke, and increases blood pressure alongside causing developmental delays in children.
The pollution levels in the country are reported to be ranging from 11•2 µg/m³ found in Arunachal Pradesh’s Lower Subansiri district in 2019 to 119 µg/m³ reported in Ghaziabad and Delhi in 2016.
