The Union Budget for the next financial year has a long-term vision to put India on the path of green recovery. It is marked by wisely planned investments in the control of air pollution, providing potable water, deep-sea biodiversity conservation and promoting renewable energy.
Air pollution in India is one of the world’s biggest health risks. According to new WHO data, India recorded the highest PM2.5 exposure and the most increase in premature deaths from exposure to particulate matter (PM) between 2010 and 2019.
As per the World Health Organization, air pollution accounts for 20 percent of newborn deaths worldwide, 24 percent of these infant deaths occur in India which is the highest. This defies the principles of inter-generational justice.
The State of Global Air was a collaborative study of Health Effect Institute and Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation of Global Burden of Disease Project has presented that Out of the total tally of 6,670,000 particulate matter (PM) 2.5-attributable deaths globally, 980,000 deaths occurred in India which was a 61 per cent increase since 2010. An extremely alarming revelation in the study is that while China and its neighbours saw a dip in air pollution levels over the period mentioned above, India and several other South Asian countries were not as lucky.
Air pollution is a silent killer that continues to take a huge toll on human lives in the 21 st Century. Sure, it's been around forever and has claimed millions of lives in the fossil fuel era. But here's the thing – ozone has slinked onto the scene as an even deadlier and more hostile air pollutant. The country has recorded an 84 per cent increase in ozone-related deaths since 2010.
Air pollution is quickly becoming the single biggest threat to our health. It’s linked to everything from cancer and lung disease to depression and heart disease. But there’s a new threat on the horizon, one that’s become an issue of growing concern to many parents: the effect of air pollution on newborns. An estimated 1.8 million deaths worldwide, mostly within 27 days of childbirth.
While air pollution may not be top of mind in the battle for healthy babies, it is very much related. Air pollution not only detrimentally affects women during pregnancy, but newborn babies are also vulnerable to pollutants. Air pollution is now a known trigger for low birth weight, stunting, pre-mature birth and death of babies. Air pollution is also found to affect foetal growth and outcomes leading to foetal mortality.
Researchers have discovered that exposure to air pollution causes inflammation and oxidative stress in the placenta and changes the gene profile of the mother. They also found that newborn babies are prone to a range of health issues if their mothers inhale toxic pollutants during pregnancy as chemicals can move across membranes of the lungs into the blood or are carried to different parts of their bodies by some other means.
The report states that the newborns in Asia are affected by indoor air pollution especially from solid fuels such as wood and charcoal used for cooking or heating. A major problem that faces the mothers is that their homes are not provided with electricity or they simply can't afford it which pushes them to rely on solid fuel for their survival.
As per the recent study carried out by the researchers of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, infants and children are more sensitive to pollution's toxic effects than adults.
The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) has the potential to halve particulate pollution in the country. The Programme should improve legally due multi-sector action across regions to clean up all air shelters.
We need deeper sectoral reforms. These are not just energy use and fuel efficiency measures. We need to do much more for cleaner vehicles, construction, heavy industries, waste management, transport, and other sectors that contribute to carbon pollution.
Household pollution comprises three major components, including solid fuels, liquid fuels, and biomass fuels. The transition from traditional to improved cooking fuel witnessed in India has been instrumental in mitigating the adverse health effect of household exposure. It is the reduction in the use of solid fuel that has proved as the greatest benefit in comparison to other fuels.
Achieving zero tolerance for local pollution is a policy tool that is vital, but not the only one. Instead of being disappointed about the failure of the Clean Air Act to curb local air pollution, we should think creatively about how to develop future policies that can try and protect the health of the citizens.