Air pollution reduces life expectancy in North India by nine years: report

(PTI) New Delhi, Dt

The level of air pollution in India has also spread geographically over time. Air pollution reduces the average age of people in North India by nine years. However, air pollution in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh is so high that the average life expectancy here is reduced by an average of 2.5 to 3.5 years. The University of Chicago's report on air pollution warns countrymen.

According to a report by the University of Chicago's Air Quality of Life Index (AQLI), India is one of the most polluted countries in the world, with 80 million people living in the Gangetic plains in northern India, where air pollution levels are regularly higher than anywhere else in the world. Is.

A study by the university's 'Energy Policy Institute' shows how many years a person can live if they breathe clean air. The report said that if the level of pollution in India remained the same as in 2016, the lives of the people of North India could be reduced by an average of nine years, as the region is facing one of the highest levels of air pollution in the world.

According to the report, the average 'particulate matter concentration' (presence of airborne particulate matter) in India in 2013 was 30.5 micrograms per cubic meter, the highest in the world and seven times higher than the World Health Organization's standard of 10 micrograms per cubic meter. According to the report, the level of air pollution in India has also spread dangerously at the geographical level.

The report says that compared to a few decades ago, particulate matter pollution is no longer limited to the Gangetic plains of India. Pollution levels have also risen sharply in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. The life expectancy of a person living in these states decreases by an average of 2.5 to 3.5 years compared to the area of ​​North India.

According to AQLI figures for Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan, if pollution is reduced as per WHO guidelines, the average age of a person can increase by 4.5 years. The level of air pollution in India is even worse than in Pakistan.