In some parts of Delhi, the levels of PM 2.5 pollutants - airborne particles less than 2.5 microns in diameter, which can enter the lungs and cause several diseases - were more than 50 times higher than the World Health Organization’s recommended safe limit: 24-hour average exposures should not exceed 15 µg/m3 more than 3 to 4 days per year.
Severe pollution is a recurring issue for the national capital every winter, which often results in a political blame game between municipal, state and national government authorities. Officials in Delhi have previously blamed the issue on the persistent burning of crop residues in the neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana after harvest season.
Pollution from vehicles, construction sites, brick kilns and factories in and around Delhi are also key contributors to the poor air quality. Efforts to curb farm fires have not been fully effective, as farmers in Punjab and Haryana usually find it cheaper to burn the crop residue instead of accepting government financial incentives to remove them manually or using machines. Farmer unions are also a powerful voting bloc in the region, prompting authorities to avoid harsh crackdowns on the practice.
NASA’s Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS), which tracks large fires across the world using live satellite data, showed multiple blazes dotted across the state of Punjab on Wednesday. Local authorities recorded 418 farm fires in total across the state on Monday.
[Image FIRMS - 13nov24] |
A recent study discovered a significant shift in disease patterns, as communicable diseases were replaced by non-communicable diseases, such as ischemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and stroke as the primary causes of air pollution-related deaths in 2019 at the global level.
Additionally, the study identified a worrying increase in deaths linked to neonatal disorders and respiratory infections caused by ambient particulate matter pollution in South Africa, India, and Brazil[1]. Furthermore, the male population is disproportionately affected by communicable and noncommunicable diseases caused by air pollution, probably as a result of smoking.
[1] Behera et al: Effects of air pollution on global health: evidence from the global burden of disease study in the BRICS countries in International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health – 2024