Health? It’s gone up in the air

Winter is Coming! The phrase portends doom. However, for the residents of Delhi, it does so in a different context. For many years now, the season of unbearable dust and pollution in the air precedes the winter season. And with it come numerous health hazards for the people. Breathing problems, allergies, asthma, chronic bronchitis, etc. The direst consequence of all is death. The worsening air pollution leaves in its wake an army of the dead

Death by breath’ was an apt name for a series of news reports and articles by the Indian Express in 2015, on the adverse impact of air pollution on the health of people. According to this investigative series, the alarm bells rung by the environmental organisations were not paid heed to by the authorities. Even though the air pollution on any given day in Delhi is a trainwreck, what happens every year at the onset of winter season is a public health disaster, which only seems to be getting worse every year.
Air pollution is measured by RSPM or Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter. These particles are smaller than 10 microns in diameter and therefore, are tougher to filter out. They are classified as PM10 and PM 2.5 on the basis of their size. It is known to enter the human body and cause various types of health hazards. The smaller the particle, the deeper it can go into the body. PM10, for instance, causes problems in the upper respiratory tract, while PM2.5 harms the lower respiratory system. Children, elderly and pregnant women are at a higher risk.
The Environmental Performance Index (EPI) 2022, published by the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy and the Center for International Earth Science Network, Columbia University, ranks 180 countries on the basis of 40 indicators, on environmental health and state of sustainability. India was ranked last on the list. The Government of India, however, rejected both the reports saying that there is no direct correlation between air pollution and deaths. On September 22, 2021, the World Health Organisation (WHO) changed its guidelines on average annual PM2.5 concentrations. It went down from 10 micrograms per cubic meter to 5 micrograms per cubic meter. It means that, the WHO’s prescribed safe limit for air pollution is actually lower than what it was earlier thought to be.

The immediate response to air pollution can range from irritation in the eyes, nose or throat, headache, fatigue to difficulty in breathing, etc. People with breathing problems like asthma, and hyperventilation, may see a worsening of their symptoms. Long-term exposure to air pollution may cause decreased lung function, severe respiratory problems like coughing and difficulty in breathing, impacts on memory, cancer, and even premature death.
LocalCircles, a digital community-based platform, conducted a survey last year, which showed that during November 2021, there was a spike in the number of people experiencing pollution-related health issues. As per the report, hospital visits increased by 100 per cent during the second week of November in 2021. Mayank Meena, a resident of Delhi says, “My sinusitis gets aggravated during those few days when there is smog everywhere. I take medicines for it temporarily, since going out of Delhi is not an option.” The story is the same for many residents of Delhi for whom the N95 mask has become a way of life.

Death by Breath – Pollution deaths

According to Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) published by The Energy Policy Institute, University of Chicago (EPIC), India is the world’s second most polluted country. And in the National Capital Region of Delhi, which is the most polluted city in the world according to the report, the life expectancy of people goes down by 10 years compared to what it would be at the WHO’s safe limit of 5 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3). According to a research study published in the international public health journal, The Lancet, ‘Health and Economic Impact of Air Pollution in the states of India: Global Burden of Disease Study 2019’, air pollution killed 1.7 million people in India, which accounts for 17.8 per cent of total deaths in the country. And as per another Greenpeace report, in 2021 alone, 54,000 people died.

Addressing the root cause or applying band-aid

While Delhi’s air quality has been plummeting, there is an absence of stringent and consistent measures. The Delhi Government’s odd-even scheme is one such measure introduced in 2016, which aimed at bringing down vehicular pollution and traffic congestion on the roads. It is implemented as a band-aid at the time when the PM levels cross ‘hazardous’ levels.
In 2019, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India launched the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), which is a national policy aiming to monitor ambient air quality across India. It has set the target of 20–30 per cent reduction of PM2.5 and PM10 concentration by 2024. The policy is a much-needed initiative, but has come under criticism for many reasons. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed the central government to raise the target for reduction of particulate matter in the air as well as reduce the time-frame for reaching this goal. Critics have also questioned the advisory nature of the policy, but it is to be noted that the NCAP has expressed support for conducting health impact studies in the country.
In 1998, a judgement by the Supreme Court forced all public transport vehicles to be run on CNG. It considerably reduced RSPM levels from 409 µg/m3 in 1995 to 191 µg/m3 in 2000, and then further to 161 µg/m3 in 2007. But in April 2022, it spiked to a dangerously high level of 346 µg/m3, way beyond the safe limit which is 100 for residential areas and 150 for industrial areas.
These sporadic interjections by the state and local governments spurred by environmental disasters and the fear of unpopularity in public, are shortsighted. The problem of air pollution is no longer just a problem. It has become a full-blown disaster of monstrous proportions. What we need are radical actions from the state and the rest of us need to follow through with them to the T. No more half-hearted efforts when it comes to saving the environment!

The Environmental Performance Index (EPI) 2022, published by the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy and the Center for International Earth Science Network, Columbia University, ranks 180 countries on the basis of 40 indicators, on environmental health and state of sustainability. India was ranked last on the list. The Government of India, however, rejected both the reports saying that there is no direct correlation between air pollution and deaths