The recent analysis conducted by the India State-Level Disease Burden Initiative paints a grim picture of the effects of air pollution in each state of India for 2017. The inquiry was carried out with the cooperation of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), and Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) alongside the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Shockingly, the study estimates that one in eight deaths in India is due to air pollution, now a more significant contributor to diseases than tobacco use.
Major Sources of Air Pollution in India
Ambient particulate matter pollution, mainly derived from coal burning for thermal power, industrial emissions, construction, brick kilns, transport vehicles, road dust, biomass incineration in homes and businesses, waste burning, agricultural stubble burning and diesel generators, is identified as a prime component of air pollution in the country.
Key Findings: The Impact of Air Pollution
Indian citizens are exposed to some of the highest levels of air pollution globally. Seventy-seven percent of the population was subjected to mean PM 2·5 levels exceeding 40 μg/m³, breaching the National Ambient Air Quality Standards of India. Remarkably, India accounts for about 26% of global premature deaths and disease burden due to air pollution, highly disproportional given that it houses only 18% of the world population.
Disease Burden and Life Expectancy Implications
The adverse health impact of air pollution includes not only respiratory diseases but also ischemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer. Over 50% of the total 12.4 lakh deaths in India in 2017 were of individuals aged under 70, attributable to air pollution. The nation’s average life expectancy would have risen by 1.7 years if the pollution levels had been lower than the minimum contributing to health decline.
Ambient Particulate Matter PM2·5: A Real Concern
In 2017, the average annual ambient particulate matter (PM2·5) exposure levels in India were among the highest worldwide. Notably, no Indian state achieved the WHO recommended level of an annual population weighted ambient particulate matter mean PM2·5 of less than 10 μg/m³.
North India’s Air Pollution Scenario
| State | Pollution Level |
|---|---|
| Bihar | High |
| Uttar Pradesh | High |
| Rajasthan | High |
| Jharkhand | High |
| Delhi | Very High |
| Haryana | Very High |
| Punjab | Very High |
North Indian states exhibited some of the most severe levels of both ambient particulate matter and household air pollution, particularly in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Delhi, Haryana, and Punjab.
Strategies for Clean Air: National and State Initiatives
In order to improve air quality, it is crucial to foster a robust system for implementing existing clean-air regulations, enhance coordination between the central and state governments, and design pollution control strategies at state and district level. Detailed emission inventories could also provide insights on pollutant types, proportions, sources, and chemical properties, while satellite data can economically supplement routine air pollution monitoring and identify potential hotspots.
Several government initiatives such as National Ambient Air Quality Standards, sector-specific emission and effluent standards, assessment of ambient air quality, cleaner fuels introduction, National Air Quality Index, universal BS-IV standards for vehicles by 2017, biomasses burning ban, public transport network promotion, Pollution Under Control Certificate, continuous (24×7) monitoring devices installation, pollution-emitting firecrackers regulation, graded response action plan have been issued to combat air pollution. Additionally, schemes like Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, aiming at reducing dependence on biomass by providing free cooking gas connections to poor households, have been launched. However, these often fail to convert the majority of the poor LPG users due to affordability issues. Thus, sustainable government support is vital for counteracting indoor pollution caused by solid fuels.
