Air Quality Report 2023: WHO Standards Breached Across India, Life Expectancy Severely Affected

Indians are exposed to air pollution levels that are eight times higher than the World Health Organisation's (WHO) safe air quality standard, according to fresh data released on Thursday. The study highlights that toxic air is reducing the average life expectancy of Indians by 3.5 years.

While southern India fares comparatively better than the northern plains, the report shows that improving air quality could still have a significant impact on longevity. Meeting WHO standards would increase life expectancy by 1.6 years in Karnataka, 2.1 years in Andhra Pradesh, 2.4 years in Telangana, 1.7 years in Tamil Nadu, and 1.3 years in Kerala, according to the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI), developed by a global team led by the University of Chicago.

The burden is highest outside Delhi and the northern plains in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra. If air quality in these states were brought down to WHO levels, life expectancy could rise by 3.3, 3.1, and 2.8 years respectively.

"Air pollution remains one of the top reasons why people across the world are living shorter lives," said AQLI director Tanushree Ganguly in a statement.

The report, based on satellite data and statistical analysis, captures the air quality situation in 2023 - the first comprehensive assessment after the pandemic period when economic activity surged again.

It shows that all of India's 1.4 billion citizens live in regions where the annual average level of PM2.5 particles exceeds the WHO's safe limit of 5 micrograms per cubic metre. Even the cleanest regions of India would gain 9.4 months in average life expectancy if particulate matter were reduced to WHO levels.

PM2.5, the most harmful air pollutant, penetrates deep into the lungs and enters the bloodstream, making it the most dangerous health risk among dust-related particles. Together with PM10, it is a primary air quality indicator monitored across the country.

Alarmingly, nearly 46% of India's population resides in areas that exceed even India's own PM2.5 annual standard of 40 micrograms per cubic metre. Cutting pollution in these regions to meet the national standard could add 1.5 years to people's lives.

The report warns that in the northern plains, home to around 540 million people - nearly 40% of the Indian population - toxic air shortens life by five years compared to WHO standards.

Previous studies have also confirmed the deadly link between polluted air and premature mortality. A study published in Lancet Planetary Health in December 2023 estimated that prolonged exposure to PM2.5 contributed to around 15 lakh deaths annually in India.