Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
Nearly 33,000 deaths annually in 10 Indian cities are attributed to air pollution levels below India's national clean air threshold, according to a report in *Lancet Planetary Health*.
India's clean air norms exceed the WHO guideline of 15 micrograms per cubic meter of air. The report advocates for stricter air quality standards to align with WHO guidelines.
The analysis used PM2.5 exposure data and daily mortality counts from 2008 to 2019 in cities like Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, Shimla, and Varanasi.
Even air pollution levels below current Indian standards increase daily mortality rates. Cities not traditionally known for high pollution, such as Mumbai and Chennai, showed significant numbers of pollution-related deaths.
The study found that 7.2% of all deaths in the 10 cities (around 33,000 per year) could be linked to short-term PM2.5 exposure above the WHO guideline of 15 micrograms per cubic meter of air.
Delhi had the highest air pollution-related death rate during the study period, with 11.5% of deaths (12,000 per year) linked to PM2.5 exposure above WHO guidelines. Varanasi followed with 10.2% (830 deaths per year).
Annual deaths attributable to air pollution included 2,100 in Bengaluru, 2,900 in Chennai, 4,700 in Kolkata, and 5,100 in Mumbai.
Shimla recorded the lowest air pollution levels but still saw 3.7% of deaths (59 per year) linked to PM2.5 exposure above WHO guidelines, highlighting that no level of air pollution is safe.
This study is the first to assess the relationship between short-term air pollution exposure and deaths across multiple Indian cities, spanning various pollution levels and agro-climatological zones. It was conducted by researchers from several international institutions, including Ashoka University, Karolinska Institutet, and Harvard University.