Air pollution reduces life expectancy in India by 5.2 years: Study

“A quarter of India’s population is exposed to [air] pollution levels not seen in any other country, with 248 million residents of northern India—including the mega cities of Delhi and Kolkata—on track to lose more than eight years of life expectancy if 2018 concentrations persist.” This is the finding of the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) report, done by the University of Chicago's The Energy Policy Institute. 

The study, which has analysed data till 2018, concludes that Bangladesh tops the world in terms of air pollution, followed closely by India on the second slot. In fact, of the five worst air countries, four are neighbours—Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Nepal—and the other is Singapore. 

“Bangladeshis could live 6.2 years longer if pollution levels met the World Health Organisation (WHO)  guideline, with the 13 million living in the capital city Dhaka living 7.2 years longer if pollution improved. Across India’s total population, life expectancy would increase by 5.2 years. Nepalese could live 4.7 years longer. Pakistanis could live 2.7 years longer,'' says the report. It emphasises that before COVID-19, air pollution was the greatest risk to human health, and will be so after the pandemic, too. The only cure, say the investigators—Michael Greenstone and Claire Fan—is “strong, sustained policy.'' 

Air pollution levels across the country vary, and the worst affected is the Gangetic plain. The report says that Lucknow has the highest level of air pollution in the country, 11 times more than WHO norms. 

“Residents of Lucknow stand to lose 10.3 years of life expectancy if pollution persists,'' the report warns. 

“Residents of Delhi could see 9.4 years added to their lives if pollution were reduced to meet the WHO guideline; 6.5 years if pollution met India’s national standard,'' it adds. 

The report says that at present, South Asia is bearing the global burden of air pollution, followed by South East Asia. The average resident of Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Nepal is “exposed to particulate pollution levels that are 44 per cent higher than two decades ago. Had 1998 pollution levels persisted, they would be on track to lose 3.2 years of life expectancy—versus 5 years today.'' The worsening air is a direct result of the last two decades of industrialisation, economic development, and population growth have led to skyrocketing energy demand in these countries, the investigators say. 

The report cites the example of China, which has recently demonstrated the speed with which strong policies can combat air pollution. From 2013, when China declared its war against pollution, to 2018, China reduced particulate pollution by nearly 40 per cent. “If these reductions are sustained, Chinese citizens can expect to live about two years longer than they would have prior to those reforms. And, China has plans to further reduce air pollution concentrations in the coming years,'' the investigators state. 

They point out how the US, Europe and Japan experienced a trajectory of high emissions during industrialisation and progressively lowered emissions as their publics demanded air pollution controls. These countries include 17 per cent of the world's population but suffer about two per cent of the life years lost due to air pollution. On the other hand, in South Asia, particulate pollution has been on the rise, and now shortens lives more than anywhere else in the world. 

“Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan are consistently among the five most-polluted countries, accounting for 23 per cent of the world's population by 60 per cent of the life years lost to pollution. Despite the health hazard it poses, air pollution has not been given importance in Africa, where the focus continues to be on malaria and HIV/AIDS, says the report. 

The report explains that measured in terms of life expectancy, ambient particulate pollution is consistently the world’s greatest risk to human health. “Compare it to other major killers. First-hand cigarette smoke, for instance, leads to a reduction in global average life expectancy of about 1.8 years. Alcohol and drug use reduce life expectancy by 11 months. Unsafe water and sanitation take off seven months. HIV/AIDS cut lives short four months, and malaria, three months. Conflict and terrorism take off just 18 days. So, the impact of particulate pollution on life expectancy is comparable to that of smoking, twice that of alcohol and drug use, three times that of unsafe water, five times that of HIV/AIDS, and 29 times that of conflict and terrorism. Air pollution is so deadly because residents of polluted areas can do very little to avoid it. Everyone must breathe air,whereas it is possible to quit smoking and take precautions.'' The emphasis, therefore is on policy change, the only cure. 

Talking of policy change, the report discusses India's National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), which was launched in 2019. The goal of the programme is to reduce particulate pollution by 20-40 per cent relative to 2017 levels, by 2024. 

“Though the NCAP’s goals are non-binding, if India does achieve and sustain this reduction, it would lead to remarkable health improvements: a nationwide reduction of 25 per cent, the midpoint of the NCAP’s target, would increase India’s national life expectancy by 1.6 years, and by 3.1 years for residents of Delhi,'' the report notes.