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AIR POLLUTION KILLED 116,000 BABIES BEFORE THEY ATTAINED 1 MONTH IN 2019 IN INDIA

 

MONOJ GOGOI


According to State of Global Air 2020, report released on 21 Oct, 2020 neonatal mortality rate has been increasing day by day for worsening air quality around the globe. Based on the findings of the report, the United States of America’s Health Effects Institute and Global Burden of Disease revealed that in India severe air pollution killed more than 116,000 infants before the attained a month in the year 2019 which is highest in number in any country in the world in the year. Low income countries continue to suffer more as newborns mortality is estimated 67,000 in Nigeria, 56,500 in Pakistan, 22,900 in Ethiopia and 12,700 in DR Congo due to exposure of contaminated air in 2019. In 2019, 476,000 newborns died worldwide the report stated.

The annual average concentration of India’s Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5 recorded highest in 2019, the report revealed. Any Indian can say about worsening pollutions of Indian cities including the capital city Delhi and resulted in severe health hazards including respiratory and skin problems.

India, in recent years, is enlisted as one of the top five countries in the world. Last year India was in fifth position but this year for deteriorating air quality, it becomes the world’s second most polluted country. The average Indian loses 5.2 years due to dirty air – states Energy Policy Institute of University of Chicago’s Air Quality Life Index. It is also important to mention here that the residents of big cities like Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai etc losing around eight years in an average from their lives but the people living in Kanpur, the most polluted city in India cut around 10 years off from their lives. But Ghaziabad was identified as the world most polluted city in the World Air Quality Report 2019 compiled by IQAir Air Visual.  Last year, according to the State of Global Air 2020, in India 167,0000 people lost lives due to exposure to poor air quality.


                                                                (Courtesy - AAP)

The contamination in air must be control and reduced to a certain level or to the level which is set by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The government of India, in 2019, launched a programme – National Clean Air Programme to cut air pollution at maximum of 30% from 102 cities by 2024.

Rapid urbanization, industrialization, vehicular emission, deforestation, stubble burning by farmers, unpaved roads, construction sites, power plants etc are the major drivers of air pollution. Recently, the Delhi government is creating awareness among the farmers by advertising that stubble burning is a serious cause of air pollution and announces that the government will turn the stubbles  into manure for farmers by using bio-decomposer at free of cost. Other measures – such as water sprinkling, permissible use of fuel in industries, ensuring use of anti-smog guns in construction sites etc.

 

 

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