No data to establish deaths only due to air pollution

New Delhi: There is no conclusive data available in the country to establish direct correlation of death/disease exclusively due to air pollution, Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel told the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

Air pollution is one of the triggering factors for respiratory ailments and associated diseases, she said in a written reply. Health effects of air pollution are synergistic manifestation of factors which include food habits, occupational habits, socio-economic status, medical history, immunity, heredity etc. of the individuals.

The Government of India has taken several steps to address air pollution issues, she said. Elaborating further, Patel said the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) aims to safeguard the health of women and children by providing them with clean LPG.

Swachh Hawa (clean air) is an integral component of Swachh Bharat, she said.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change launched the National Clean Air programme in 2019 as a national level strategy to reduce air pollution levels across the country, Patel said.