Air pollution has reduced the life expectancy of Indians by an average of 3.4 years with Delhi topping the list at 6.3 years, according to a study.
Delhi is followed by West Bengal and Bihar at the reduced life expectancy at 6.1 years and 5.7 years, respectively, stated the study conducted by the city-based Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology in collaboration with the National Centre for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), Colorado.
However, no significant mortality was observed in Jammu and Kashmir (0.6 years) and Himachal Pradesh (1.2 years).
The study report, titled "Premature mortality in India due to PM2.5 (fine particulate material) and O3 (Ozone) exposure" reveals that PM2.5 has claimed 570,000 lives in 2011 while Ozone 3 has claimed 12,000 lives in the same year.
Along with Delhi and Bihar, other states where life expectancy is found reduced due to air pollution are: Jharkhand (5.2 years), Uttar Pradesh and Odisha (4.8 years), Haryana and Punjab (4.7 years), Chattisgarh (4.1 years), Assam (4 years), Tripura (3.9 years), Meghalaya (3.8 years) and Maharashtra (3.3 years).
As per the report, Uttar Pradesh has the highest premature mortalities due to PM2.5 exposure, which accounts for about 15 per cent of all premature mortalities in the country during 2011, followed by Maharashtra (10 per cent), West Bengal (9 per cent) and Bihar (8 per cent).
States like Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Rajasthan collectively make for 32 per cent of countrywide PM2.5 premature mortalities.
The percentage of the Ozone-related mortalities owing to COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) was highest in Uttar Pradesh (18 pc) followed by Bihar (11 pc), West Bengal (9.5 pc), Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh (7 pc each).
"We estimate that PM2.5 exposure leads to about 570,000 premature mortalities in 2011 and on national scale, our estimate of mortality by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (CoPD) due to Ozone 3 exposure is about 12,000 people," said Sachin Ghude, an IITM scientist, who was one of the researchers in the study.
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UP's Abhishek Mishra said, "It's not about state versus state. It is about a cumulative and holistic effort because all of us are getting affected. Multiple sources like industrial pollution, construction activities, vehicles, brick kilns...Have been discussed. Multiple solutions have come up."
Delhi's Environment Minister Imran Hussain said the contribution of stubble burning to Delhi's pollution levels cannot be disputed.
"We all know what the situation is. NASA images have consistently shown that smoke from the burning stubble has severely affected the national capital."
"We suggested that the Centre consider artificial rains. We also highlighted the need for modernisation of the brick kilns operating in the NCR region," he said.
Acknowledging that bursting firecrackers during Diwali was a factor, he said there could be public awareness campaigns in future in this regard.
Early this year, a team led by IIT-Kanpur Professor Mukesh Sharma had submitted a report titled "Comprehensive Study on Air Pollution and Green House Gases (GHGs) in Delhi".
The widely quoted report had put the contribution of biomass burning in pollution within the city (during winters) at 17 per cent (for PM 10) and 26 per cent (for PM 2.5).
In all likelihood, the PM from biomass burning is contributed from crop burning prevalent in Punjab and Haryana in winter, the study said.
"There is an immediate need to control or find alternatives to completely eliminate CRB (crop burning) emissions to observe significant improvement in air quality in Delhi," the study had observed.
