Air pollution levels across India well above global standards: WHO official

Strategies like LPG subsidies and a switch to cleaner cooking fuels could help India become a leader in meeting this challenge, says Dr Maria Neira, director of environment and health at WHO

India’s air quality remains well below the standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO), a senior official from the organization said on Wednesday, noting that the issue was not limited to the national capital, which makes headlines for hazardous levels of air pollution every winter.

 

"There's a study which shows that we always focus on New Delhi when it comes to pollution, but I'm afraid it's almost all of India where WHO standards on AQI are not implemented," said Dr Maria Neira, Director of the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health at WHO.

 

"One thing is to distance slightly from WHO standards, and another is to go really far beyond them. Air pollution is a public health issue in India, and it needs more political engagement to accelerate the actions already in place," she added.

 

 

Dependence on biomass

 

Speaking exclusively to PTI Videos, Dr Neira urged Indian authorities to strengthen existing efforts, especially those targeting household air pollution caused by the burning of biomass.

 

Over 40 per cent of the population still depends on biomass fuels for cooking, a practice that continues to cause significant health problems and loss of life each year, she pointed out.

 

"We need to consider programmes like providing access to LPG and subsidies, but of course, the effort has to be not only maintained but probably scaled up," Neira told PTI, pointing to research that shows that use of biomass fuel results in more mortality and morbidity.

 

However, she also acknowledged that India has shown leadership by implementing clean energy programmes in the past, but stressed the need to build on that momentum. "We would like to call on the Indian government to accelerate and scale up the leadership that they have shown when they put programmes in place to combat household pollution, because it has shown good results when implemented," she added.

 

Switch to a renewable source

 

The WHO official further said that while an immediate shift to clean and renewable energy would be ideal, the transition must be equitable. "We recognise that there has to be a fair transition, particularly for those most vulnerable who are currently using polluting sources. That transition through better sources of energy will include access to LPG, biogas, ethanol, they can ensure transition while protecting the health of the people," she explained.

 

Impact on health

 

Dr Neira pointed out that air pollution plays a major role in the rise of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), such as heart and respiratory conditions. These diseases are expected to be discussed at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly in September. "We need to make sure that the NCDs community understands that by tackling air pollution, we are contributing enormously to reducing the burden of NCDs," she told PTI.

 

She noted that India has the capability to lead the way in addressing this challenge. "We have a lot of hope that India can change the situation completely and even set an example for other countries," she said.

 

Earlier on Monday, speaking at an event in Mumbai, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari had said "If you stay in Delhi for three days, you will get some infection." "We have not taken the environmental issue seriously. There is a need to treat ecology and ethics with the same priority as economy and infrastructure," Gadkari, who is minister for road transport and highways, noted.

 

According to the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI), a study by the University of Chicago, the toxic air pollution in Delhi is reducing residents' life expectancy by almost 10 years, making it one of the most severe health threats in the country.

 

Delhi's plan

 

The Delhi government, this week has revealed plans to establish six new air quality monitoring stations at prominent locations, taking the total number of monitoring stations in the city to 46. The decision is part of the new BJP-led government’s strategy to strengthen the city's air quality monitoring network and improve preparedness to tackle the annual problem of smog and overall pollution. The new stations will be situated at JNU, IGNOU, Delhi Cantonment, Netaji Subhash University (West Campus), and the Commonwealth Games Sports Complex, Sirsa informed PTI.