Air pollution in the country has lead to a six-fold jump in premature deaths in the last decade, revealed a standing committee report by the environment ministry. The report, quoting the Global Burden of Diseases 2013 study, said that between the year 2000 and 2010, the number of premature deaths in the country increased from 1,00,000 to 6,20,000.

COMMERCIAL BREAK
SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING

The study, conducted by the The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, tracks deaths and illness from all causes in a decade. It revealed that household air pollution from solid fuels was the second biggest risk, after dietary risks.

Another study quoted by the report, conducted by scientists at IIT Roorkee, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, Institute of Minnesota and University of Colorado concluded that total mortality went up from 11,394 in 2000 to 18,229 in 2010. And that, mortality due to cardiovascular diseases went up from 3,912 in 2000 to 6,374 in 2010, and mortality due to respiratory diseases went up from 1,697 in 2000 to 2,701 in 2010. The study found a "massive rise in mortality and morbidity associated with high pollutant levels in Delhi", said the report.

The committee, rapping the government on its inactivity, said that we must no longer be in denial. "The Committee finds it strange and ironical that the Ministry is neither ready to rely on or accept epidemiological studies linking mortality with air pollution," said the report. Reminding the ministry of an affidavit it filed at the Delhi High Court that it did not have an action plan at the moment, the committee asked it to take urgent stringent action.

"If you want to mitigate the situation in Delhi, we need strong steps and discipline. Only then can we have some positive results in the coming five years. At this point, I would like to remember the Delhi High Court judgement that small and medium scale industries should be stopped in and around Delhi, and the ruling that led to the introduction of CNG. Both the moves were opposed by people, but we exercised them and are now at least able to stay in the city," said Anil Madhav Dave, Rajya Sabha MP from Madhya Pradesh, who was a part of the standing committee.

Ruchita Bansal at the Centre of Science and Environment, who has been working on the Right to Clean Air campaign, said that the lack of monitoring is alarming. "In Delhi, the PM 2.5 (a pollutant) level is usually alarmingly high. It should remain at 60 micrograms per cubic meter, ideally. On Diwali, our monitors showed that PM 2.5 levels shot up to 800-900 micrograms, while the government meters only showed 200-300 micrograms," says Bansal. "There is usually no real-time data, and many cities do not even have monitors. In China, areas with high levels of pollutions have alarm systems to warn people. Schools are shut down when the pollution is too high." A WHO study last year revealed that Delhi is now the world's most polluted city, beating Beijing out of 1600 cities in 90 countries. And of the 20 most polluted cities in the world, 13 are from India.Bansals says that CSE studies have revealed that between 2007 and 2012, air pollution levels in Delhi jumped 75%, and that motorisation in the same period increased 95%. "Vehicular pollution is the biggest problem we have," said Bansal. "And the lack of awareness between people. If people can move to relying on public transport wholly, it would be ideal."Dave, too, felt that people must pitch in with concerted efforts. "It is easy to criticise and difficult to do things on our own. We need combined efforts from the society as well as the government, only one cannot achieve success," he said.Suffocating figuresDeaths due to pollution increased11,394 in 2000 to 18,229 in 2010mortality due to cardiovascular diseases went up from 3,912 in 2000 to 6,374 in 2010mortality due to respiratory diseases went up from 1,697 in 2000 to 2,701 in 2010.Out of the 20 most polluted cities in the world, 13 are from India