In Delhi, India’s capital and one of the world’s most polluted cities, the benefits would be even greater: cleaner air could add 8.2 years to life expectancy.
A report by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago found that India’s air pollution is eight times higher than the World Health Organization’s safe limit, causing 1,000 days of lost life expectancy. The average life expectancy would increase by 3.5 years if air quality met global standards.
The Northern Plains region suffers the most, with residents potentially living five years longer if air quality improved. Delhi and other states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra could also see significant gains in life expectancy. The Indian government launched the National Clean Air Programme in 2019, but progress has been slow. Improving air quality is not just a health issue but also a moral one, and strong enforcement, innovation, and collective effort are needed to achieve ambitious targets.
A recent report by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) has revealed alarming statistics about India’s air pollution levels. The report indicates that the air quality in India is far below the World Health Organization (WHO) standards, with pollution levels rising in 2023 compared to 2022. The study found that fine particulate matter (PM2.5) levels in India are eight times higher than the WHO’s safe limit, causing significant health impacts and a loss of approximately 1,000 days of life expectancy for the average Indian [1].
The report highlights that if India were to meet the WHO’s global standards, the average life expectancy would increase by 3.5 years. The WHO’s 2021 air quality guidelines set the annual limit for PM2.5 at 5 micrograms per cubic meter, whereas India’s own standards allow much higher levels, 40 micrograms for PM2.5 and 60 for PM10. Shockingly, nearly 46% of India’s population lives in areas where even these looser Indian standards are being breached [1].
The impact of air pollution is most acutely felt in the Northern Plains, home to almost 39% of India’s population. If air quality met the WHO guideline, residents there could live five years longer on average. In Delhi, the capital and one of the world’s most polluted cities, the benefits would be even greater, with cleaner air potentially adding 8.2 years to life expectancy. Other states facing heavy health burdens include Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra, where life expectancy could rise by over three years if pollution were cut to safe levels [1].
The Indian government has taken steps to address this issue by launching the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in 2019. The program aims to reduce particulate pollution by 20–30% by 2024 compared to 2017 levels, later revised to a 40% cut by 2026 across 131 cities that consistently fail to meet air quality standards. While progress has been made, with pollution levels dropping by 10.7% as of 2023, the pace of change is slow. This has given 445 million people about six extra months of life expectancy compared to 2017 [1].
Improving air quality is not just a health issue but also a moral one. Strong enforcement, innovation, and collective effort are needed to achieve the ambitious targets set by the NCAP. Cleaner skies in India would not just mean clearer views of the Himalayas, but also longer, healthier lives for millions of people.
source: https://www.ainvest.com/