New Delhi: As the deteriorating air quality levels have become a major concern for India, Standing Committee on Environment will have a meeting, on Thursday, to discuss over the issue of rise in air pollution.
Standing Committee Chairman and senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh confirmed about the meeting to ETV Bharat, while mentioning that the rise in air pollution is a grave concern for the country affecting the health of people, therefore the very issue will be discussed in tomorrow's meeting.
He had also tweeted over the matter, saying, "Air pollution is the highest health risk factor in India due to its huge disease burden contributing to premature deaths. COVID-19 has made us all even more vulnerable."
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Air pollution is the highest health risk factor in India due to its huge disease burden contributing to premature deaths. COVID-19 has made us all even more vulnerable.
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) October 21, 2020 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
The Standing Committee on Environment will discuss this very issue tomorrow. https://t.co/gMTt7cZ5fG
">Air pollution is the highest health risk factor in India due to its huge disease burden contributing to premature deaths. COVID-19 has made us all even more vulnerable.
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) October 21, 2020
The Standing Committee on Environment will discuss this very issue tomorrow. https://t.co/gMTt7cZ5fGAir pollution is the highest health risk factor in India due to its huge disease burden contributing to premature deaths. COVID-19 has made us all even more vulnerable.
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) October 21, 2020
The Standing Committee on Environment will discuss this very issue tomorrow. https://t.co/gMTt7cZ5fG
Recently, a report of State of Global Air 2020 (SOGA 2020) has been released in which India has topped the list of annual average PM2.5 concentration exposure in the world last year.
"India released it's National Clean Air Programme in 2019 with a view to reduce outdoor PM 2.5 levels by 2024. While the program has been criticized for its lack of a legal mandate and it's narrow focus on cities, it has led to increased engagement on the issue of air pollution at the state and local levels," stated the report.
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It also suggested that while China saw 1.42 million PM2.5 attributable deaths, India saw 980,000 and together these two countries account for 58% of worldwide deaths attributed to PM2.5 in the year 2019.
Among the 20 most populous countries, India has witnessed the highest increase of 61% (373,000 in number) in deaths attributable to PM2.5.
India has only achieved a decrease in the number of people exposed to household air pollution, with a reduction in percentage from 73 to 61 over a decade.
As per various reports of Central Pollution Control Board, the air quality in India is deteriorating with time. However, the Union Environment Minister has repeatedly claimed that the issue of toxic air in Delhi will be resolved in less than 15 years.
"In April 2020, the country initiated a switch to Bharat Stage VI (BS-VI) vehicle emission standards, which is likely to bring benefits over the next few years. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has raised concerns that the full implementation of the switch might be delayed," stated SOGA 2020 report.
