Air pollution causes over 4K deaths in Bihar every year

More than 4,000 people die every year due to air pollution-related diseases in Bihar, revealed a study by the Centre for Environment and Energy Development (CEED) and IIT-Delhi.

The study titled "Know What You Breathe" takes into account the PM 2.5 concentration level in three cities of Bihar -- Muzaffarpur, Gaya and Patna -- the last two featured among the top 10 most polluted cities in the world.

Collating the air-quality data with the air-pollution related deaths, CEED Programme Director Abhishek Pratap said, "It has been found in the report that the PM 2.5 level in Patna, Gaya, and Muzaffarpur is 175 per cent to 200 per cent higher than the national limit and it is disproportionately increasing over the years. An estimated 290-300 deaths per one lakh population take place annually in these three cities due to pulmonary diseases, heart diseases, stroke, lung cancer and acute lower respiratory infection."

He highlighted the need for the government to prioritise the prevention of air pollution-related deaths and improving air quality and welcomed the "Air Action Plan" for Patna.

"Given the urgency of the situation, the process of formation of a clean air action plan for Patna will speed up while a similar process will be initiated for Gaya and Muzaffarpur. If a clean air action plan gets implemented with utmost stringency, the premature deaths due to air pollution will reduce by 18 per cent in Patna," he said.

The experts stressed on the need for using cleaner cooking fuels, promoting public awareness, inter-state coordination and an efficient regional clean air action plan for the Indo-Gangetic plain to improve the air quality in the region. "To achieve the National Air Quality Guideline, the PM 2.5 concentration should reduce by over 54.2 per cent in Muzaffarpur, by 53.4 per cent in Patna and by 41.8 per cent in Gaya," they said.

Solutions

Experts stressed on the need for using cleaner cooking fuels, promoting public awareness, inter-state coordination and an efficient regional clean air action plan for the Indo-Gangetic plain to improve the air quality in the region