The study, published Saturday in the Economic And Political Weekly (EPW) says that 660 million people, or over half of India’s population, "live in areas that exceed the Indian National Ambient Air Quality Standard for fine particulate pollution. The study, which was conducted by economists from the University of Chicago, Harvard and Yale, further adds that if pollution is reduced in areas where these people live, it could translate into an increase in their average life expectancy of over three years. "Reducing pollution in these areas to achieve the standard would, we estimate, increase life expectancy for these Indians by 3.2 years on average for a total of 2.1 billion life years,” the study notes.
How bad is the outdoor air quality in India?
Global Burden of Disease in India
This finding is significant as India is a labor intensive economy and has been struggling to increase its life expectancy, which is a key socio-economic indicator of development. The Indian government’s latest health statistics reveal that in the last decade, life expectancy has gone up by five years. While an Indian man is expected to live for 67.3 years on an average, a woman is expected to live for 69.6 years. Analyzing data from India’s Central Pollution Control Board, the EPW study found that in 2010, air quality in a staggering 77 percent of the country’s urban areas was worse than the norms prescribed under its air quality standards.
Read more @ International Business Times
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