IS AIR POLLUTION SHORTENING THE LIVES OF PUNE CITIZENS?
Pune, 6th October: Being one of the non-attainment cities with respect to ambient air quality under the National Clean Air Programme, Pune’s deteriorating air quality has been a cause of national concern. According to the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago‘s Air Quality Life Index (AQLI), residents of Pune, could live about 3.2 years longer if World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines were met. Way back in 1998, the gain in life expectancy by meeting the same air quality standards was 1.8 years. This, along with other insightful details, were shared in a workshop organized by the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi Alumni Association (IITDAA) Pune Chapter and the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC India) in Pune on 6th October.
Sharing his insights on the impact of air pollution on human health, Dr. D.M. Chate, the former Deputy Director, SAFAR Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), said, “There has been a sharp rise in direct impact of air pollution caused by various emissions in the last decade in Pune. There is so much literature available on how air pollution has doubled in the city and cases with respiratory diseases have also gone up. Puneites are breathing much more polluted air compared to a decade ago. ”
Echoing similar sentiments, Michael Greenstone, the Milton Friedman Distinguished Service Professor in Economics and Director of EPIC added, “Around the world today, people are breathing air that represents a serious risk to their health. But the way this risk is communicated is very often opaque and confusing, translating air pollution concentrations into colors, like red, brown, orange, and green. What those colors mean for people’s wellbeing has always been unclear. My colleagues and I developed the AQLI, where the ‘L’ stands for ‘life,’ to address these shortcomings. It takes particulate air pollution concentrations and converts them into perhaps the most important metric that exists—life expectancy.”
The AQLI, which indicates that on an average, residents in Maharashtra could live 2.9 years longer if the WHO air quality guidelines were met, converts air pollution concentrations into their impact on life expectancy. For every district of the country, the tool illustrates how air pollution policies can increase life expectancy when they meet the WHO guidelines or national air quality standards. It even allows citizens and policymakers to compare country or district-level data from 1998 to 2016, and make a comparative analysis.
Talking about how civil society can play an active role in curbing air pollution, Ekta Kumar, senior columnist said, “Air pollution kills, and yet we do not hear enough voices demanding clean air. Only when people are aware of the extent of the problem, will they demand action. Media can be a powerful tool to shape public opinion. It amplifies voices, and if an increasing number of people begin to ask the right questions, things will change.”
Taking a cue from that, Dr. Geetanjali Kaushik, EC Member, IITDAA & Associate Professor, Hi -Tech Institute of Technology Waluj, Aurangabad, added, “Policy makers and civil society need to adapt to changing technology. Tools like AQLI are more than just handy for communicating how dangerous air pollution has become and the need for this generation to speak up and act.”
The workshop, meant to raise awareness about the impact of pollution on human health, was attended by more than 60 participants, most of whom are IIT Delhi alumnus, comprising of environmentalists, doctors, industry professionals, among others. “This is not just a one off event but the but the beginning of a long term partnership in the fight against air pollution”, said Mr. Surendra Agarwal, President, IITDAA Pune Chapter.
