Due to air pollution in India, in 2019 more than 116,168 newborns lost their lives. These newborns were so small that they had not even spent seven days of their lives in this world and they did not even know the meaning of air pollution.
As per the data published by the US-based research institute Health Effects Institute (HEI), the data also showed that globally in 2019, more than 4.76 lakh newborns lost their lives due to air pollution.
India is followed by air pollution causing 67,869 newborn deaths every year in Nigeria, 56,519 in Pakistan, 22,857 in Ethiopia, 11,100 in the Congo, 12,662 in Tanzania and 10,496 in Bangladesh.
According to the report, out of the 50 cities that recorded the highest increase in PM2.5 during this period, 41 are in India and 9 cities are in Indonesia. Secondly, between 2010 and 2019, the 20 cities that recorded the most decline in PM 2.5 levels are all located in China.
Delhi and Kolkata ranked first and second in the list of the 10 most polluted cities when PM2.5 levels were compared, with Delhi and Kolkata reporting an average annual exposure (relative to population) of 110 µg/m3 and 84 µg/m3. respectively. µg/m3 refers to micrograms per cubic meter, according to the report titled Air Quality and Health in Cities.
However, no Indian city appeared in the list of the top 10, or even the top 20, polluted cities when N0 2 levels were compared. This list saw Shanghai at the top with an average annual exposure of 41 µg/m3. Average NO 2 levels for Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai, according to the report, ranged from 20 to 30 µg/m3.
Although nitrogen pollution is not a big problem in India, PM2.5 is still the biggest concern in Indian cities. Out of 7,239 cities, India hosts 18 of the 20 cities with a severe increase in PM2.5 count from 2010 to 2019. The other two cities are in Indonesia. All of these cities saw an increase of more than 30g/m3 during that decade.
Due to this high exposure to PM2.5 pollution, Kolkata also ranks 8th among the world’s most populous cities related to the highest PM2.5 related disease burden in 2019. Kolkata has 99 deaths for every lakh of citizens exposed to such high levels of PM2. .5 contamination. Delhi is ahead of Calcutta both in terms of exposure to PM2.5 (110 g/m3, which is 22 times the WHO safe limit) and in the highest burden of disease.
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