Delhi on track to lose 11.9 years of life to pollution, says study

[andhra_jp]

The Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) released by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago also showed that all of India's 1.3 billion people live in areas where the annual average particulate pollution level exceeds the 5 μg/m3 limit set by World Health Organization (WHO).

The AQLI said that Delhi is the most polluted city in the world with its 18 million residents on track to lose 11.9 years of life expectancy on average relative to the WHO limit and 8.5 years relative to the national guideline if the current pollution levels persist.

Even in the least polluted district in the region - Pathankot in Punjab - particulate pollution is more than seven times the WHO limit, taking 3.1 years off life expectancy if current levels persist," it said.

Three-quarters of air pollution's impact on global life expectancy occurs in just six countries -- Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, China, Nigeria and Indonesia -- where people lose one to more than six years of their lives because of the air they breathe," said Michael Greenstone, the Milton Friedman Distinguished Service Professor in Economics and creator of AQLI.

 

[pizzaaddict]

 

Delhi Development Minister Gopal Rai stressed the need to decrease instances of stubble burning during a meeting of Central and state Agriculture Ministers on Thursday.

During the video conference meeting, issues concerning stubble management were discussed.

Rai pointed out that each year, the Kejriwal government formulates a winter action plan to tackle the escalating pollution in Delhi, wherein stubble burning during the winter season significantly contributes to the pollution problem.

"To promptly address this issue, our government annually distributes Pusa Bio-decomposer in paddy fields, resulting in positive outcomes by decomposing stubble and enhancing field fertility. However, it's evident that neighbouring states also report numerous cases of stubble burning, exacerbating Delhi's pollution problem during winter," Rai stated.