Air pollution is posing a serious health risk in India as the number of cases of acute respiratory infection (ARI) have risen alarmingly by more than 5 million since 2012, Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry’s data has revealed. A lethal combination of pollutants from motorised vehicular traffic emission to particulates from burning of garbage and farm waste, besides from various mining activities as well as industrial effluents, is causing grave health problems to the inhabitants of the country.
India’s major cities and other urban areas are the worst affected by such pollution. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has reported that 13 of the 20 international cities with worst pollution, particularly fine particulate matter (PM) in atmospheric air, are in India, and that the country’s capital city Delhi is the most polluted in the world. The tell-tale parameter is the smallest measurable particulate matter – PM of less than 2.5 microns, which is an annual average of 153 micrograms per cubic metre in Delhi, well above the WHO limit of 35.
Delhi has become world’s air pollution outcaste. The capital city and other urban areas, particularly in the north of the country, continue to fare among the worst on the globe, with Gwalior second, Allahabad third, Patna sixth and Raipur seventh. This is primarily on account of callousness on the part of the people and the government, and due to geographical limitations – unlike coastal areas where there is adequate sea and land breeze as a result of alternate cycle of heating and cooling of land and water. The location of Delhi and other northern cities leaves little breeze for them, and therefore any amount of pollution generated are not moved away. Further, due to the phenomenon of atmospheric inversion, pollutants tend to stay and not disperse.
India’s air pollution has been increasingly becoming critical since the last few decades. Little needs to be said on the extent of public health casualties when air pollution goes beyond the permissible limits. Difficulty in breathing is the starting point. Continued exposure to chemical fumes and particulate matter leads to reactions in the human body, which are difficult to repair. Infants, asthma patients, adults and elderly alike, everybody is susceptible to discomfort and diseases. Has the decision-makers in the country understood the full consequences of declaring its air a ‘national emergency’? Visitors – whether on business or diplomats or tourists – will think three times before visiting the country; this could make India the air pollution pariah of the world.
Studies point out that reducing emissions, which cause poor air quality, ozone depletion and climate change, is the key to healthy life. Whether it is indoor or outdoor, air pollution can trigger lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pneumonia and other acute lower respiratory infections, loss of vision – including cataracts, and it can heighten the risk of cardiovascular disease. The annual cost of the environmental damage due to air pollution in India has been estimated to be over Rs. 1,50,000 crore.
A recent Union government report notes the strong association between air pollution and respiratory diseases. Nearly 4.5 crore acute respiratory infection (ARI) cases were reported in the country in 2016. The report stated that air pollution leads to a wide array of health effects, of which ARI ‘has accounted for the maximum number of cases’ while noting that ‘over the years, acute respiratory infection cases are showing an increasing trend.’ This is clearly discernible since 2011, the report said.
The National Health profile, prepared by the Central Bureau of Health Intelligence, covers demographic, socio-economic, health status and health finance indicators, along with comprehensive information on health infrastructure and human resources in health. The Union government and Forest Ministry, while presenting the data to the Parliament recently, in a rare official admission said that air pollution could be causing deaths on a large scale in the country.
International studies have also attributed a large number of deaths due to air pollution in India. A WHO assessment report, showed India as the worst affected country. The WHO has ranked outdoor air pollution among the top killers in India. Air pollution has also made India home to a highest rate of deaths caused by chronic respiratory diseases anywhere in the world. Bad air is also blamed for the increasing growth in stress level cases as well as non-communicable disease such as diabetes hypertension, stroke and cardiovascular complications, according to the WHO report.
Experts are insistent that the causes, sources and impact of air quality issues are interconnected and they need to be addressed together. One solution is better and more extensive public transport such as the metro and buses. Addressing one air quality issue can often help to reduce other kinds of pollution. The government, in partnership with non-governmental organisations (NGOs), technical specialists and research organisations, need to initiate a ‘clear air campaign’ all over the country.
This needs to take the form of legislation as well as behaviour changing approaches. Governments, both at the central and state levels, need to reassess their production and consumption of energy and work with partners for low-carbon future – one that is more efficient, has more natural ingredients and a growing share of renewable energy, such as solar and biogas. The government cannot delay a roadmap for emission standards any longer, as only better regulation and adoption of an inclusive approach that promotes healthier lifestyles will result in cleaner air, experts insist.
(The writer is a freelance journalist).
