Live in India? Say bye to 5.9 years of your life thanks to air pollution

Air pollution isn’t just causing numerous diseases but it is also reducing our lifespan.

A new report claims that nearly 40 per cent of Indians are exposed to pollution levels higher than any other country. And 510 million people in northern India are on track to lose 8.5 years of life expectancy on average.

In fact, all of India’s 1.3 billion population resides in areas where the annual average particulate pollution level exceeds the WHO guideline, said the University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute (EPIC) report.

If the same air pollution levels persist, the average lifespan of people in Delhi will reduce by 9.7 years against the national average of 5.9 years. Uttar Pradesh residents will lose 9.5 years, with people in Lucknow losing 11.1 years on average.

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While the northern belt is the worst affected, the EPIC report says air quality is rapidly deteriorating in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra as well.

Things seem bleak but according to the same report, a nationwide reduction of pollution matter by 25 per cent would increase India’s national life expectancy by 1.8 years, and by 3.5 years for residents of Delhi.