According to the reports released by WHO in 2016, India abodes 14 cities out of the 20 most polluted cities in the world.
WHO has also revealed that breathing the polluted air gives rise to multiple non-communicable diseases, thus, leading to 24% of all adult deaths from heart disease, 25% from stroke, 43% from chronic intrusive pulmonary disease,29% from lung cancer and also cited that almost nine out of the 10 people inhale the contaminated air in the world.
Indian cities which have attained the fame by being in the top 20 with a pollution measure of a whopping PM 2.5 level are Delhi, Varanasi, Kanpur, Faridabad, Gaya, Patna, Agra, Muzaffarpur, Srinagar, Gurgaon, Jaipur, Patiala, and Jodhpur.
The PM 2.5 level comprises of the deadly composition of pollutants like sulfate, nitrate and black carbon, which are a grave threat to the human haleness.
A number of over 13 Indian cities contribute to the top 20 with a pollution measure of a whopping PM 10 level, according to the reports released by the WHO in 2016.
Following the apprehensive reports of the WHO, it then decided to signal the South-east Asian countries, especially the Indian zone about it’s alarming contribution to almost 34% i.e 2.4 million out of the prodigious seven million embryonic deaths around the globe annually, the reason being the poisonous household and environmental pollution.
It has also revealed that, out of the total count of a massive 3.8 million deaths by the household pollution and over 4.2 million deaths due to the environmental pollution, India accounts for over 1.5 million i.e over 40% deaths due to the former and over 1.3 million or 30% deaths reported due to the latter. A mandatory concern indeed!
According to the database of the air pollution released by the WHO in the year 2016, which was contributed by the metropolitan cities in the world, some fine granular particles with the pollution measure of over PM2.5 and PM10 level were known to exist in more than 4,300 cities in almost 108 countries. This data had inclined towards the fact that the environmental air pollution contributed to over 4.2 million deaths in 2016 and over 3.8 million deaths due to the household pollutants, emitted from the cooking with the pollution ladened fuels and technologies.
WHO has revealed to have incremented its database with a number of over 1000 more cities since 2016, which indicates that more and more cities are being measured with a life staking pollution and taking the precautionary actions in order to curb the deadly poison!
The report also revealed that“WHO estimates that around 7 million people die every year from exposure to fine particles in the polluted air that penetrate deep into the lungs and cardiovascular system, causing diseases including stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and respiratory infections, including pneumonia.”
The report has also proclaimed that over 90% of the air pollution ladened deaths take place in the low and middle-income countries like the top-most being Asia(including India) and Africa, followed by that of the Eastern Mediterranean zone, Europe, and America. It also cited that, “Around 3 billion people — more than 40% of the world’s population — still do not have access to clean cooking fuels and technologies in their homes, the main source of household air pollution.”
The report has also thrusted upon the fact that many countries have already initiated taking the precautionary measures to woo away from the air pollution and in the process also mentioned Modi’s step towards the same by referring to India’s Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, which promises to provide clean LPG connections to over 37 million women belonging to the below poverty line in order to back them for switching to a clean household energy fuel. India has however aimed the number to over 80 million by 2020.
Almost all the countries around the globe are making a primary effort to provide clean fuel to its citizens but the problem still lies in the countries which are devoid of the clean energy fuel, which accounts to over 60%.
Acknowledging the grave issue, Poonam Khetrapal Singh, regional director of WHO Southeast Asia also said that if the household and environmental pollution are not dealt now then they are sure to become a real threat to life in the coming future.
“Cleaning up the air we breathe will help prevent NCDs, particularly among women and vulnerable groups such as children, those already ill and the elderly,” Ms. Singh expressed
“Many of the world’s megacities exceed WHO’s guideline levels for air quality by more than 5 times, representing a major risk to people’s health,” Director of the Department of Public Health, Social and Environmental Determinants of Health at WHO, Maria Neira, cited. In addition, she also said that politics has a major role in dealing with this burgeoning health issue!
The director general of WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, cited, “Air pollution threatens us all, but the poorest and most marginalized people bear the brunt of the burden. It is unacceptable that over 3 billion people — most of them women and children — are still breathing deadly smoke every day from using polluting stoves and fuels in their homes.”
The major contributors to the air pollution are the improper utilization of the energy by the households, industries, agricultural and transportation division and coal manufacturing plants. Besides, Sand and desert dust, burning wastes and deforestation are also one of the main sources of air pollution around the globe.
“Air pollution does not recognize borders. Improving air quality demands sustained and coordinated government action at all levels,” the WHO poured out!
