Indians could die seven years earlier due to air pollution: What can be done?

The subcontinent of India is the second-most polluted country in the world, says Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago's (EPIC) new study. Nepal has the worst air quality index among 225 countries. India is a far cry away from World Health Organisation's indexes (WHO). This means more than 48 crore Indians (almost 40%) face a risk of losing life expectancy by seven years.

The last Sample Registration Survey for 2013-17 showed that life expectancy in India improved from 67 years in 2011 to 69 years.

However, people living in the states of Punjab, Chandigarh, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal comprising of the Indo-Gangetic plain, the average life expectancy would be cut short by seven years to only 62 owing to dangerous level of air pollution. For most salaried people, common retirement age is between 60 and 65 years.

A 72 per cent increase in pollution from 1998 to 2016 in the region has led to this result. Since the study does not factor in the damage done in the last three years, the actual damage for people in this region could be much more.

The EPIC study found that Delhi is one of the 14 cities where residents faced risk of losing more than 10 years of life expectancy due to pollution.

The study also found that if India adheres to the WHO guidelines, the situation may improve. Reducing particulate pollution to the World Health Organization's guideline of 10 µg/m3 would increase the national average life expectancy by 4.3 years across India.

India launched National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) this year. If the program is, successful it might extend life expectancy of the average Indian by about 1.3 years and those in the Indo-Gangetic Plain by 2 years.

The report conducted by trusted officials is the final resort and wake up call for the government of India to take stringent measures to ensure the safety of its citizens.