Almost 100 per cent Indians breathing polluted air

A volunteer stands with a placard, urging motorists to turn off their vehicle engine while at the signal, as smog envelops Delhi, in 2021. Pic/AFP

Over 99 per cent of India's population is breathing polluted air, shows a Greenpeace India's report issued on Friday. Titled ‘Different Air Under One Sky', the report's key findings show that the greatest proportion of people living in India are exposed to PM2.5 concentrations more than five times the WHO annual average guideline.

According to the WHO, the upper limit of annual PM2.5 is five microgram per cubic metre. The region with the highest exposure to pollution in the country is Delhi-NCR, followed by Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, West Bengal, etc. Uttarakhand has least exposure to pollution.

It listed older adults, infants and pregnant women as the most vulnerable groups who are "exposed to worse air". It said 62 per cent of pregnant women in the country live in the most polluted areas, compared to 56 per cent people in the whole population. The report said the government "must introduce a robust air quality monitoring system" across the country and "make the data publicly available in real time".

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"A health advisory and ‘red alerts' for bad-air days should also be issued so that the public are able to take necessary steps to protect their health, and polluters would be required to reduce emissions to protect the environment," the report said. It said the current National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) is "insufficient" and "needs immediate revision".

"The Central Pollution Control Board must set a process of revision of NAAQS based on scientific evidence. The government must ensure the implementation of all the planned activities under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)," the report said. It further stressed that there is an "urgent need" to make NCAP more "transparent, comprehensive and stronger".

What is PM2.5

It refers to fine particles that penetrate deep into the body and fuel inflammation in the lungs and respiratory tract, leading to the risk of cardio-vascular and respiratory problems, including a weak immune system.

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