POLLUTION

Current Air Pollution Levels in Delhi Could Bring Down Its Residents’ Average Life Expectancy by 10 Years, Warns Study

Representational Image (Piyal Bhattacharjee/TOI, BCCL- Delhi) — A thick layer of smog over New Delhi.
(Piyal Bhattacharjee/TOI, BCCL, Delhi)

The mention of Delhi, which should be reminding us of its rich historical past, its fantastic food and plethora of shopping hotspots, instead brings us the image of the smog that perpetually seems to blanket the city.

Every year, between the months of October and February, Delhi becomes practically unlivable — primarily because of the air pollution associated with back-to-back festivities and stubble burning. The air qualities dip considerably during this winter season, leaving Delhiites gasping for breath.

Now, after being labelled as the 'world's most polluted capital city' for the fourth consecutive time earlier this year, another new account highlighting its grim situation has been brought to light.

The report published by the University of Chicago's Energy Policy Institute (EPIC) has suggested that air pollution could end up shortening lives by almost ten years in the Indian capital!

But it's not just Delhi that's majorly polluted. The report said that over 63% of Indians live in areas that exceed the country's own air quality standard. And researchers noted that 510 million people who live in northern India — nearly 40% of India's population — are "on track" to lose 7.6 years of their lives on average, given the current pollution levels.

The study also claimed that the average Indian life expectancy is shortened by five years at current air quality levels, making it more lethal than smoking, which reduces the life expectancy by about 2.5 years.

The smog-filled air that usually covers Indian cities during winters contains dangerously high levels of fine particulate matter called PM2.5. According to EPIC, these tiny particles capable of clogging our lungs and causing a host of other respiratory illnesses are the "greatest threat to human life" in India regarding life expectancy. And since 1998, this particulate pollution has increased by 61.4%.

The rise in India's air pollution over the past two decades has been attributed to industrialisation, economic development and the skyrocketing use of fossil fuels. Even the number of vehicles on the roads has increased about four-fold.

The report did highlight the National Clean Air Programme's (NCAP) aim to reduce harmful particulate matter by 20 to 30%, adding that "if India were to sustain this reduction, it would lead to remarkable health improvements".

It further stated that a 25% reduction would increase the national life expectancy average by 1.4 years and by 2.6 years for Delhi's residents.

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