Air pollution caused due to burning of fossil fuels leads to over 30% of deaths in India per year, a new study by researchers from Harvard University, University of Birmingham, University of Leicester and University College London has found.
The study noted that exposure to particulate matter from these emissions accounted for nearly 18% of deaths globally in 2018. India and China top the charts when it comes to most number of deaths caused by air pollution from burning coal and diesel.
Uttar Pradesh reported 471,456 additional deaths because of fossil fuels, followed by 288,821 in Bihar and 276,312 in West Bengal. In states like Maharashtra, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu too, over 1 lakh deaths were reported.