Lok Sabha Question No. 1151 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-06-28
Subject: Impact of Air Pollution on Health
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Parvesh Sahib Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1151 TO BE ANSWERED ON 28 TH JUNE, 2019

## IMPACT OF AIR POLLUT ION ON HEALTH

## 1151. SHRI PARVESH SAHIB SINGH:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has carried out any study on the long term impact of air pollu human health, if so, details thereof;

- (b) whether the Government has taken steps on pre cautionary and curing measures for people to prevent deadly lung diseases and respiratory problems; and

(c) if so, the details of measures/ initiatives taken by the Government for safe public respect to air pollution in the country particular ly in Delhi?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a) : Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had sponsored three epidemiological studies assess  the  long  term  impact  of  air  pollution  on  human  health.  The  studies  indicate pulmonary and systemic changes, altered immunity and other health impairments associated with cumulative  exposure  to  high  level  of  particulate  pollution  that  increases  the  risk  o diseases  including  respiratory  diseases.  The  results  are  indicative  rather  than  conclu studies assessed the morbidity aspects and not mor tality aspects.

Further,  Indian  Council  of  Medical  Research in ollaboration  with  P ublic  Health Foundation of  India and Institute for Health Metrics & Evaluation conducted the study titled 'The impact of air pollution on deaths, disease burden, and life ex pectancy across the states of India:  The  Global  Burden  of  Disease  Study  2017'  published  in  The  Lancet  Planetary  Health 2018 on 6 th December 2018. According to article ,76.8% of the population of India were exposed to  annual  population - weighted  mean  PM  2.5greater  than  40 μ g/ m 3 , which  is  the  limit recommended by the National Ambient Air Quality Standards in India. Delhi had the high annual  population - weighted  mean  PM  2.5  in  2017,  followed  by  Uttar  Pradesh,  Bihar,  and Haryana in north India, all with mean values greater than 12 5 μ g/ m 3 . 1.24 million (1.09 - 1.39) deaths in India in 2017, which were 12.5% of the total deaths, were attributable to air including 0.67 million (0.55 - 0.79)  from  ambient  particulate  matter  pollution and 0.48 millio (0.39 - 0.58) from household a ir pollution. India contributed 18.1% of the global population b had  26.2%  of  the  global  air  pollution Disability - Adjusted  Life  Y ear s ( DALYs ) in  2017.  The ambient particulate matter pollution DALY rate was highest in the north India states o Prade sh, Haryana, Delhi, Punjab, and Rajasthan, spread across the three Sustain Development  Indicator  (SDI ) state  groups,  and  the  household  air  pollution  DALY  rate  was highest in the low SDI states of Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Assam in n th and northeast India. (b) & (c) : The Government has taken several steps to add ress air pollution, which inter - alia include notification of National Ambient Air Quality Standards; revision of emission sta for  industrial  sectors  from  time  to  tim e;  setting  up  of  monitoring  network  for  assessment  of ambient air quality; introduction of cleaner/alternate fuels like gaseous fuel (CNG, LP ethanol blending, launching of National Air Quality index; leapfrogging from BS -IV to BS - VI fuel standards ; notification of Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules; banning of  burning  of  biomass;    streamlining  the  issuance  of  Pollution  Under  Control  Certif issuance of directions under Section 18(1)(b) of Air (Prevention and Control of Polluti on) Act, 1981 and under Section 5 of Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 for controlling air poll installation of on - line continuous (24x7) monitoring devices by major industries; notificatio Graded Response Action Plan for Delhi and NCR; comprehe nsive action plan for air pollution control in Delhi and NCR. The Government has formulated National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) as a long term time bound pan India strategy to tackle the increasing air pollution problem across the c a comprehensiv e manner. Hundred (100) non - attainment cities, including Bengaluru, have been selected  for  formulation  and  implementation  of  city  specific  action  plan  under  NCAP addition, the NCAP has many additional peripheral components such as, Technical Assessme Cell,  technology  support,  sharing  of  international  best  practices,  awareness  and  c building,  source  apportionment  studies,  plantation  drive,  intensive  inspection  drive

support the time bound implementation of NCAP.

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