In India, air pollution is responsible for 7 percent of deaths in 10 major cities including Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata. In this study, data from cities like Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Purne, Shimla and Varanasi was studied apart from Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata. In which the level of PM 2.5 was 15 micrograms per cubic meter more than the standards set by the World Health Organization on 99.8 days.
In Delhi, PM2.5 air pollution causes more than 12,000 deaths each year, accounting for 11.5% of all annual deaths. An increase in PM2.5 concentration increases the risk of death, and local pollution is the main cause. An increase in PM2.5 concentration increases the risk of death for those attributable to local pollution. The risk doubles when Indian air quality standards are exceeded.
The study covered 2.6 million deaths in ten Indian cities between 2008 and 2019. The team of international scientists included researchers from Varanasi Banaras Hindu University and New Delhi's Chronic Disease Control Center. Experts believe that many lives can be saved by preventing air quality from deteriorating.
There is an urgent need to implement laws related to this in India. According to the World Health Organization, almost every person on earth is exposed to air pollution. Long-term exposure causes brain stroke, heart disease, lung cancer and respiratory diseases.