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Ecology & Environment
Mahesh

30/08/24 11:13 AM IST

Air pollution may reduce Delhi residents' life expectancy by 12 years

In News
  • Delhi's persistent air pollution is reducing the life expectancy of its residents, according to the latest Air Quality Life Index 2024 report, which highlights the city's status as one of the most polluted regions in the northern plains.
Major Highlights
  • 1.8 crore people living in the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, one of the most polluted regions in the northern plains, are on track to lose an average of 11.9 years of life expectancy compared to the World Health Organisation's (WHO) guidelines.
  • If  India were to meet its national PM2.5 standards, life expectancy for Delhi's residents could increase by 8.5 years and if it met the WHO standards, nearly 12 years could be added to the life expectancy of Delhi's residents.
  • PM2.5, a fine particulate matter that can penetrate deep into the respiratory system and trigger respiratory problems, is a significant health risk and a major contributing factor to pollution levels.
  • The report underscores that the annual PM2.5 standard in India is set at 40 micrograms per cubic metre, yet more than 40 per cent of the population is exposed to air that exceeds this limit.
  • According to WHO, life expectancy at birth in India was 67.3 years in 2021. This is up by nearly five years from the average life expectancy of 62.1 years in 2000.
  • Pollution in Delhi spikes following the harvesting of crop in the northern plains, which often clashes with Diwali, leading to a mixture of smoke from residue burning and firecrackers hanging over the capital’s air for weeks.
  • Other than these, Delhi is also impacted by localised sources such as industries, vehicles and burning of waste, keeping levels of pollutants well above permissible standards.
  • The report found that after Delhi, Uttar Pradesh was the most polluted, with an annual average PM2.5 level of 65.5µg/m3, with residents of the state expected to gain 5.9 years if the WHO standard is met and 2.5 years if the national standard is met.
  • For Haryana, the corresponding figures were 5.2 years and 1.8 years, respectively.
  • The report found that not just Delhi, but other states and UTs also showed an improvement in 2022.
  • The average PM2.5 concentration for India reduced from 49µg/m3 in 2021 to 41.4µg/m3 in 2022, which is still over eight times the WHO standard, but close to the national standard. 
About Index
  • The AQLI is a pollution index that quantifies the causal relationship between long-term human exposure to air pollution and life expectancy.
  • The life expectancy calculations made by AQLI are based on a pair of peer-reviewed studies.
  • By comparing two subgroups of the population that experienced prolonged exposure to different levels of particulate air pollution, the studies were able to plausibly isolate the effect of particulate air pollution from other factors that affect health.

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