Air pollution can shorten life expectancy in India

The Indian capital of Delhi is the world’s most polluted city and there are fears this pollution can shorten lives by almost 10 years

Across the nation more broadly, all of India’s 1.3 billion people live in areas where the “annual average pollution level” exceeds the WHO’s safe limit shortening India’s total average life expectancy by five years.

Smog-filled air often blankets Indian cities during the winter months. This contains high-levels of toxins clogging lungs and triggering a number of diseases.

The Air Quality Institute found 510 million people who live in northern India – or nearly 40% of the population, are “on track” to lose 7.6 years of their lives if pollution levels stay as they are.

On the flip side, reducing pollution levels to WHO standards would give around 240 million people in northern India an extra 10 years in life expectancy.

The study done by the Energy Policy Institute at the University fo Chicago (EPIC) found that since 2013, 44% of the world’s pollution come from India.

Particularly in the last few decades, the impact fo industrialisation and dependence on fossil fuels, has heightened this.

Meanwhile, in the US, Yellostone National Park is shut due to severe flooding.

Katerina Kostakos contributed to this report.