Air Pollution Is Killing Lacs Of People In India Highlighting The Government’s Gross Failure To Address Environment Issues

The Lancet has published a groundbreaking multi-city study in India that has revealed that air pollution is responsible for approximately 12,000 fatalities annually in Delhi, which is the highest rate of mortality in the country.

It is the first multi-city study to evaluate the correlation between exposure to short-term air pollution and mortality in India. The cities in the study are located in different agro-climatological zones and exhibit a wide range of air pollution concentrations.

The study concluded that air pollution could be responsible for over 33,000 fatalities annually in 10 cities (approximately 7.2% of all fatalities): Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, Shimla, and Varanasi.

Shimla has the lowest mortality rate among these cities, with only 59 fatalities annually, corresponding to approximately 3.7% of its total. 

PM2.5 Air Pollution Fatalities

In these ten cities, the concentration of PM2.5 exceeded the safe limits established by the World Health Organization (15 micrograms per cubic meter) on 99.8% of the days.

Between 2008 and 2019, the researchers obtained daily fatality data from the civil registries in these ten cities. During this period, only three to seven years of daily mortality data were made available for each city.

Together, these cities were examined for over 3.6 million fatalities. A previously developed machine-learning-based exposure model was employed by researchers to generate PM2.5 exposure data with a high level of detail in terms of time and location as a result of the sparse nature of air pollution data across many cities. This model combined data from regulatory monitors, satellites, meteorology, and other sources.

When the ten cities were combined, the study discovered a 1.42 percent increase in mortality for every ten micrograms/cubic meter increase in PM2.5 levels.

The cities exhibited significant variation, with Delhi experiencing a 0.31 percent increase in mortality and Bengaluru experiencing a 3.06 percent increase. The findings indicate that cities with relatively lower levels of air pollution, such as Bengaluru and Shimla, exhibited more pronounced effects.

This indicated that individuals residing in towns with lower pollution levels were at a higher risk of mortality due to the rise in pollution than those residing in cities with higher pollution levels.

“This is likely due to the sharp increase in risk at lower levels of exposure, which plateaus at higher levels that are unlikely to be experienced in these cities,” stated Dr. Siddharth Mandal, one of the co-authors of the study, from the Centre for Chronic Disease Control.

The likelihood of mortality in Bangalore increases by 3% for every ten microgram increase in the PM-2.5 level over a 48-hour cycle, while in Delhi, it increases by 0.3%. Bangalore poses a tenfold increase in risk.

The Indian standard (40 micrograms annually) was significantly higher than the WHO’s permissible limit for the pollutant. However, the study revealed elevated rates of air pollution-related fatalities even in cities where the annual PM-2.5 limit falls below the Central Pollution Control Board Standards. This is a cause for concern.

For example, Bangalore has an estimated 2,102 air pollution-related fatalities, with an annual PM-2.5 level of 33 micrograms per cubic meter. Ahmedabad (37.9) has a mortality rate of 2,495, while Chennai (PM-2.5 at 33.7 micrograms) has a mortality rate 2,870.

The number of air pollution-related fatalities in Hyderabad (38.9) is 1,597, while in Shimla (28.4), a highland station, there are 59 such deaths. The research indicates that many fatalities associated with air pollution occur in purportedly healthier cities, and the threshold values for air quality standards require reconsideration.

The investigation concluded that PM 2.5 pollution, i.e., particles with a diameter equal to or less than 2.5 micrometers, can result in hundreds of deaths at even lower concentrations.

Stubble Burning

Stubble burning continues to contribute to the air pollution in Delhi during peak pollution times of the year, even though emissions have decreased in recent years and these restrictions have been implemented. Between September 15 and November 23, 2023, 55,725 farm fires were documented in six states: Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh.

The BJP government in Haryana announced a paddy residue management policy in 2023 to utilize the paddy straw that remains on the field after harvest to generate sustainable energy. By 2027, the policy is designed to halt burning crop residue entirely. Similarly, the Punjab government has committed to managing all 19.5 million tonnes of paddy straw in the state post-harvest to control air pollution owing to the burning of agricultural residue.

Over 200,000 machines to remove crop residue were delivered to individual farmers and groups by the center between 2018 and 2022, with a total of Rs 2,440.07 crore released to these states.

Government To Blame

Widespread criticism was directed at a draft Environment Impact Assessment notification in March 2020 for permitting projects to operate without prior environmental certifications and for weakening other safeguards. The Environment Ministry has issued office orders that mirror the controversial provisions of the draft EIA, although these have yet to be implemented.

In its manifestos, the BJP pledged to guarantee “speed and effectiveness” in granting environmental clearances for industrial and infrastructural projects.

The number of clearances in the wildlife, forest, environment, and coastal zone increased by 21 times between 2018 and 2022, from 577 to 12,496. Additionally, the average time required to obtain an environmental approval decreased from 600 days in 2014 to 162 days in 2017.

Nevertheless, ecological safeguards are compromised by the rapidity of approvals, which reduces the time available for discussions regarding the environmental impacts of projects.

Air Pollution

The public health crisis is a direct consequence of the poor administration of the Prime Minister, who has prioritized the profits of the Prime Minister’s friends over the health of the Indian people.

The BJP administration of India launched a national clean air program in 2019 and committed to reducing pollution in 131 cities by 20-30%.

However, India still has 42 of the world’s 50 most polluted cities. Areas where pollution exceeds national air quality standards are home to approximately 876 million Indians, more than the combined population of the United States and Canada. The inhalable particulate levels in the capital city exceed the WHO guidelines by 100.

42 of the world’s top 50 most polluted cities are located in India. 1.3 billion Indians reside in regions where the annual average particulate pollution level exceeds the WHO’s guideline of 5μg/m3 (microns per cubic meter) by 16 times, regardless of whether they are governed by the governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) or by the political opposition.

In regions where air pollution exceeds India’s national air quality standard of 40 µg/m3, over two-thirds of the population, or 876 million individuals, reside, more than the combined population of the United States and Canada. This results in a 5.3-year reduction in the average Indian’s life expectancy.

Although air pollution was not a topic of discussion during the recently concluded 45-day general elections to the Lok Sabha, the 2024 State Of Global Air Report, a collaborative research project conducted by the Health Effects Institute and Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation in the United States, provides the Modi 3.0 government with a clear and urgent agenda to address air pollution and its health consequences.

According to the report, India and China collectively accounted for 54% of the global disease burden from air pollution-related ailments in 2021, thanks to their billion-plus populations. Additionally, India was the site of nearly 50% of all ozone-related COPD fatalities worldwide that year.

The study estimated that the number of pollution-related fatalities among children under the age of five in India in 2021 was 169,400, the highest in the world. Nigeria and Pakistan followed suit.

Congress Party leader Jairam Ramesh asserted that the BJP-led Centre has continuously changed the deadline for coal power stations to install the pollution-controlling Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) equipment since 2017.

“Thousands of people have lost their lives, all for the benefit of plant owners.” According to him, the escalating costs of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders have increased interior air pollution, as people are now forced to cook on chulhas rather than cooking gas.

Ramesh asserted that the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), initiated in 2019 with the usual fanfare, has been a “complete failure.”

“By the conclusion of 2023, there is no utilization of over 50% of the NCAP funds.” Additionally, the Congress leader stated that the clean-air targets established by the NCAP do nothing to prevent life loss, as concluded by the most recent Lancet study.

He stated that most of the 131 cities under the NCAP lack the necessary data to monitor their air pollution.

According to Ramesh, only eight of the 46 cities that possess the data have reached the NCAP’s low objective, while 22 cities have recorded increased air pollution.

The central government has initiated a massive crackdown on India’s conservation regulations. He alleged that the Biological Diversity Act and Environmental Protection Acts have been affected, the Forest Rights Act of 2006 and Environmental Impact Assessment norms have been compromised, and the Forest Conservation (Amendment) Act of 2023 removed security for much of India’s forests.

“The National Green Tribunal has been made toothless for the benefit of the PM’s corporate cronies,” Ramesh continued.

The government should increase the amount of money available under the NCAP.

“The current budget, which encompasses NCAP funding and the grants of the 15th Finance Commission, is approximately Rs 10,500 crore and is distributed among 131 cities.” He stated that our cities need at least 10 to 20 times more funding and that NCAP should be increased to a Rs 25,000 crore program.

The Congress leader demanded that the air pollution standards for coal power facilities be enforced immediately.

He stated that the FGD equipment must be installed by the end of 2024 at all power facilities.

Ramesh further asked for the restoration of the NGT’s independence and the reversal of the anti-people environmental-law amendments that were implemented in the past decade.

He stated that the current focus on “non-attainment” cities is not up to the level, and the NCAP requires legal support, an enforcement mechanism, and a robust data-monitoring capacity for all Indian cities.

The National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) were implemented in November 2009, and the Air Pollution (Control and Prevention) Act was enacted in 1981, Ramesh noted.

However, in the past decade, he stated that the public health consequences of air pollution — in terms of morbidity and mortality — have become increasingly apparent.

The Congress leader further stated, “It now calls for a comprehensive review and overhaul of both the Act and the NAAQS.”

Animals
In 2022 and 2023, India conducted the world’s first intercontinental wildlife translocation by transporting twenty African cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa to MP’s national park. The initiative has been the subject of widespread criticism as a result of the deaths of seven adults and three cubs.

The Himalayas
The BJP pledged to provide Himalayan states with a “green bonus,” which is a monetary compensation for the ecological benefits provided by the mountain range, including water and climate regulation. So far, the incentive has not been realized.

The BJP government initiated the National Mission on Himalayan Studies in 2015 to provide research grants in the Himalayan states. The mission’s annual budgetary allocation has decreased from INR 64 crore in 2015-16 to INR 48 crore in 2020-23.

Ganga
The flagship Namami Gange Programme, initiated by the Modi government in 2014, had a budget of Rs 20,000 crore and was designed to revitalize and sanitize the Ganga River.

Substantial implementation delays have plagued the program. In 2022-23, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh utilized only 7% of the allocated expenditures.

The program has only had a minor impact. 71% of the stations to monitor pollution along the river banks reported concerning levels of fecal coliform, i.e., the presence of human or animal fecal matter in the water.

River interconnection
The 2014 manifesto proposed the “interlinking of rivers on the basis of feasibility.” Despite identifying 30 link projects, only one has commenced implementation: the Ken-Betwa Link Project in Madhya Pradesh. This project will submerge 9,000 hectares of land, including the tiger and vulture habitat of the Panna Tiger Reserve.

Renewable Energy
The BJP also pledged to advance renewable energy and healthier fuels in its manifesto. India launched the International Solar Alliance in 2015, which is a collaboration of 97 tropical countries. The alliance’s objective is to construct a transnational electricity infrastructure that will supply solar power to 140 countries. The coalition has received financial contributions from only India and France thus far.

In 2015, India pledged to generate 175 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2022 as part of the Paris Agreement, an international treaty on mitigation of climate change. Nevertheless, it failed to meet its objectives, attaining a mere 119 GW by November 2022.

Climate Action Tracker, a portal that monitors countries’ commitments worldwide, has classified India’s progress in achieving its Paris Agreement targets as “highly insufficient.”

In 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared we would achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2070. Experts have noted that the ambitious objective for India would necessitate a reduction in the proportion of traditional energy in the country’s energy matrix from 73% in 2015 to 5% by 2050, which seems to be unachievable going by the current progress.

Carbon credits and green credits
The 2014 manifesto pledged to “encourage the adoption of carbon credits.” Carbon credits are produced when an endeavor eliminates carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

The Modi government implemented a Carbon Credit Trading Scheme in 2022 to promote the production and trading of these credits. It also initiated the Green Credit Program, which enables the generation of tradeable credits through sustainable agriculture, water conservation, and tree plantation, among other activities.

Despite these schemes, there is no improvement happening on-ground. These have just remained for the books, to woo voters during elections. 

In order to prevent the schemes from being employed for greenwashing or to make false claims regarding the environmental benevolence of a product, experts have identified the necessity for improved regulation.