New Delhi: A recent study by The Lancet Planetary Health has reported that air pollution is responsible for approximately 33,000 deaths each year across ten major cities in India, spanning from 2008 to 2019.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the cities studied were Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, Shimla, and Varanasi. The research focused on the health impacts of short-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), which even in cities with levels below India’s current standards, such as Mumbai and Chennai, was associated with increased mortality rates.
The study from the London-based journal further noted Rohtak, Haryana, as June’s most polluted city among approximately 250 in India. It underscored the health hazards of PM2.5, primarily sourced from burning fossil fuels, which include severe respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and increased death rates.
Highlighting an urgent need for stricter air quality standards, the study criticized India’s lenient National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) compared to WHO guidelines, pointing out the inclusion of only 14 out of 60 severely polluted cities in India’s National Clean Air Programme and calling for comprehensive national actions to address air pollution.