Air Pollution Responsible for 7.2% of Deaths in Major Indian Cities

A new study published in The Lancet Planetary Health has revealed the alarming impact of air pollution on mortality rates in India, Anadolu Agency reported yesterday.

The research, which analyzed data from 2008 to 2019, found that 7.2% of all daily deaths in 10 major Indian cities were caused by exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5).

The study showed significant associations between short-term PM2.5 exposure and daily mortality rates across multiple cities. Delhi experienced the highest impact, with 12,000 air pollution-related deaths annually, accounting for 11.5% of the city’s total mortality.

Even cities with relatively lower pollution levels, such as Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai, exhibited high death rates linked to air quality. The findings underscore the urgent need for India to strengthen its air quality standards, which currently exceed the WHO guidelines by four times.