660 million lives endangered by pollution in India: Study
A new study suggests air pollution in India has affected a huge number of its citizens, shortening the lives of around 660 million people by about three years.
Results of a new research published in the Indian journal, Economic & Political Weekly, on Saturday showed that the lives of 54.5 percent of the Indian people who reside in areas heavily polluted by fine particles are shortened by 3.2 years on average.
The study, conducted by economists at the universities of Chicago, Harvard and Yale, said the levels of fine particles in many urban areas across India are above acceptable standards in the country. This, the research claimed, has decreased the life expectancy of around 660 million Indians and has also held back the country’s growing economy.
“Today, too many Indians are exposed to dangerous levels of air pollution that are shortening lives and holding back the Indian economy,” the report added.
The most polluted
India is already the worst affected by pollution in the world as the number of people dying from respiratory diseases in the country outnumbers the global average. The Indian capital city of New Delhi is also the most polluted in the world, according to the estimates by the World Health Organization. The list of 20 polluted cities in the world in 2014 included 12 other cities from India.
The new report said the conservative results of the study might not depict a fully correct image of the impact of pollution on India as the study has not taken into account other pollutants and factors.
The authors have recommended that the Indian government harmonize its economic policies with measures that could reduce the pollution in order to guarantee the promising economic future of the country and to minimize the potential risks for the population and the workforce.
Other recommendations include putting more efforts at restructuring civil penalties rather than intensifying the outdated criminal fines, which have proved to be ineffective due to their severity. A new market-based regulation should be also introduced coupled with an accurate and comprehensive pollution monitoring system which could vitally help India “reduce the scourge”.
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