India saw a noteworthy decrease of 19.3 per cent in particulate pollution in 2022 compared to 2021, which was the second-largest reduction globally after Bangladesh. As per a recent report, this decrease has added an average of 51 days to each citizen's life expectancy.
The Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) published the "Air Quality Life Index" 2024 report, which also projected that if India fails to meet the World Health Organisation's annual PM2.5 concentration standard of 5 micrograms per cubic meter, Indians could potentially lose 3.6 years of life expectancy.
Researchers attributed the drop in particulate levels in India and other South Asian nations mainly to favourable meteorological conditions and a decreased occurrence of thermal inversions, which is when a layer of warm air traps cooler air near the ground, leading to the buildup of pollution.
In 2022, PM2.5 concentrations in India were approximately 9 micrograms per cubic meter, marking a decrease of 19.3 per cent compared to 2021.
The most significant reductions were observed in Purulia and Bankura districts of West Bengal, followed by Dhanbad, Purbi, Paschim Singhbhum, Paschim Medinipur, and Bokaro districts in Jharkhand. In each of these districts, PM2.5 concentrations decreased by over 20 micrograms per cubic meter.
According to the report, the most polluted region in India, the northern plains, experienced a 17.2 per cent reduction in particulate levels in 2022 compared to 2021.
However, despite this improvement, the average resident in this region is still likely to lose about 5.4 years of life expectancy if the current pollution levels persist. On the other hand, if the decline in particulate levels continues at the same rate in the coming years, life expectancy in the northern plains could increase by 1.2 years, it said.
"The report clearly shows that even a modest reduction in air pollution levels could lead to increased life expectancy. Air pollution, even at low levels, significantly shortens lives and poses serious public health risks.
"Our current national air quality standards fall short of protecting public health and must be revised in line with World Health Organisation guidelines. We have the tools and technologies to solve the air pollution crisis, what we need now is the political will to implement them," said Avinash Chanchal, Campaign Manager, Greenpeace India.
The report said that PM2.5 concentrations declined by 19 per cent on average in districts with cities covered by India's flagship air quality management programme, the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), while districts not covered by the programme saw a 16 per cent decline.
However, barring Dhanbad, the NCAP framework does not cover any of the districts with the highest decline in PM2.5 concentrations.
Launched in 2019, the NCAP is India's first national effort to set clean air targets. It aims for a 20-30 per cent reduction in particulate pollution by 2024, using 2017 as the base year. The revised target is a 40 per cent reduction by 2026, using 2019-20 as the base year.
The programme covers 131 non-attainment cities, which consistently failed to meet the prescribed national ambient air quality standards between 2011 and 2015.
"As of 2022, pollution in districts with non-attainment cities has declined by 18.8 per cent relative to 2017, adding 10.8 months to the life expectancy of 446.7 million residents of these districts and four months to India's national average life expectancy," the report said.
If India meets the NCAP target, residents in non-attainment areas could see their life expectancy increase by two years compared to 2017. India's national average life expectancy would also increase by an additional 7.8 months as a result, it said.
The EPIC team emphasised that in India, where the annual PM2.5 standard is 40 micrograms per cubic metre, more than 40 per cent of the population breathes air that exceeds this standard.
However, India is responding by implementing innovative policies. In 2019, Gujarat launched the world's first market for particulate pollution, which has since reduced pollution by 20-30 per cent in Surat and is rapidly expanding to other cities and states.
The researchers said these types of innovative policies demonstrate that improvements in air quality and people's health can be achieved without unduly impeding economic growth.
The report also praised India's clean cooking programme, the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, saying that the decline in emissions from the residential sector in India can largely be attributed to the nationwide rollout of this scheme.
It attributed the reduction in transport-related emissions to the decreased use of diesel in the transport sector.
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