A new terror of air pollution in India after COVID-19 1.6 million lives have lost due to pollution
By Adnan Mahfuz
When the whole of India feared the COVID 19 outbreak, a new picture of terror came to the fore. The name of this panic is air pollution. According to a recent survey, this pollution is responsible for many of the deaths in the country in 2019! In other words, in that one year, there were 1.6 million deaths in India, directly or indirectly related to air pollution.
According to this year’s “State of Global Air” Survey, indoor and outdoor air pollution is responsible for the deaths. According to the survey, between 2010 to 2019, the toxins in the country’s air have increased.
Although it is possible to curb domestic air pollution in 2019, the situation outside is the same. In this respect, South Asian countries like India lag far behind other countries in the world.
Experts have long warned that unbridled air pollution is shortening people’s lives. Of those 1.6 million people, about 60 percent have died by COPD 19, according to the survey. The rest is due to other lung diseases or heart disease. Researchers say that air pollution is related to each of them.
An even more significant cause for concern is the impact of such pollution on new-born babies. According to the survey report, this is the only reason why at least 1 lakh 16 thousand new-born babies died last year (10 lakh = 1 million)! In other words, in 2019, about 21 percent of the total new-born babies died in the country.
Polluted air outside the home is called ‘villain’ as it accounts for half of all infant deaths. Researchers have blamed fuels such as charcoal, wood, and firewood for the pollution.
Researchers also say that long-term testing has shown that air pollution has a detrimental effect on premature birth or low birth weight problems. If the mother is exposed to this contamination for a long time during pregnancy, it can affect the child.
The study acknowledged that air pollution was one of the significant health problems. The report, released by the Health Effects Institute, further states that India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nepal are in the top ten globally in terms of PM2.5 pollution.
The fact is that the Indian government is not aware of this increase in air pollution, nor is it at all. That is why several anti-pollution initiatives have been taken at the government level. However, every winter, the situation in several major Indian cities, including Delhi, suggests that the situation is dire.
