Govt denies air-death link, but Lancet report says over 17 lakh died in India in 2022

While the Narendra Modi government denies any direct correlation between air pollution and mortality, a Lancet report has said that more than 17 lakh people died in India during 2022 from exposure to PM 2.5. Fossil fuels reportedly played a key role.

The report was released by the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change, an international and multidisciplinary collaboration that is dedicated to monitoring the evolving health profile of climate change and works in coordination with the WHO. It has been prepared by 128 experts from 71 academic institutions and UN agencies.

Down To Earth reported on a separate “India-specific report” by Lancet. “There were over 1,718,000 deaths attributable to anthropogenic air pollution (PM 2.5) in 2022 in India, an increase of 38 percent since 2010,” the outlet quoted this report as saying.

“Fossil fuels (coal and liquid gas) contributed to 752,000 (44 percent) of these deaths in 2022, while coal accounted for 394,000 deaths, primarily from its use in power plants (298,000 deaths),” it said, adding that “use of petrol for road transportation contributed to 269,000”.

The report found that burning of fossil fuels, particularly in thermal power plants and running of millions of vehicles in the country, played a key role in triggering the death march from air pollution. 

The Forest Survey of India recently pointed to the country’s increased forest and tree cover. However, the Lancet study raised concerns.

The Lancet study reportedly found that “between 2001 and 2023, India lost a cumulative total of 2.33 million hectares of tree cover, of which 143,000 were lost only in 2023.” Urban greenness in the country has decreased 3.6 per cent during the last decade, it added. Of the 189 most populous cities in India, having more than 500,000 habitants, 14 had exceptionally low levels of urban greenness, 110 had very low levels, 42 had low levels, and 22 had moderate levels. 

A similar study linking deaths in Delhi to air pollution was published last year.

But both the Union Environment Ministry and Health Ministry have maintained that there is no direct correlation between mortality and air pollution.

“There is no conclusive data available to establish a direct correlation of deaths due to air pollution. Air pollution is one of the many factors affecting pulmonary ailments and associated diseases,” Kirti Vardhan Singh, Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, told the Rajya Sabha last year.

However, the impact of air quality on human health is visible in many parts across the country. And it’s not a challenge restricted to cities anymore. But what are the biggest sources of pollution? What time does it get worse? Are the levels being monitored correctly? Who is most at risk? And what can be done to solve it?

Watch this to understand what experts have to say.

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