India’s air pollution crisis now full-blown assault on brains, bodies: Congress – The Economic Times

Report on India’s Air Pollution Crisis and its Implications for Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary: A Public Health and Sustainable Development Crisis

India is facing a severe air pollution crisis that has evolved from a respiratory issue into a comprehensive threat to public health and national security. This crisis poses a significant challenge to the achievement of several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to health, sustainable cities, and economic well-being. The escalating mortality and morbidity rates linked to poor air quality necessitate an urgent and radical revision of national environmental policies to align with global health standards and sustainable development targets.

Impact on SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

The air pollution crisis in India represents a direct impediment to achieving SDG 3, which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. The health impacts are catastrophic, transforming air pollution into a public health emergency.

• Mortality Rates: In 2023, approximately 2 million deaths in India were attributed to air pollution, marking a 43% increase since the year 2000. India’s air pollution-related death rate stands at 186 per 100,000 people, which is more than ten times the rate observed in high-income nations (17 per 100,000).
• Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs): Nearly 90% of these deaths are linked to NCDs. Air pollution is a major contributing factor to several critical health conditions:
  1. Approximately 70% of deaths from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
  2. Approximately 33% of deaths from lung cancer.
  3. Approximately 25% of deaths from heart disease.
  4. Approximately 20% of deaths from diabetes.
• Cognitive and Neurological Decline: Emerging evidence links exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) with brain damage and accelerated cognitive decline. Globally, an estimated 626,000 dementia-related deaths in 2023 were associated with air pollution, highlighting a new dimension of this public health threat.

Implications for SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

The pervasive nature of air pollution undermines the objective of SDG 11 to create inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities and human settlements. Current data indicates a nationwide failure to provide clean air for citizens.

• Widespread Exposure: Every individual in India currently resides in an area where PM2.5 levels significantly exceed the guidelines set by the World Health Organization (WHO).
• Inadequate Standards: India’s national standard for annual PM2.5 exposure is eight times higher than the WHO guideline. The 24-hour exposure standard is four times the WHO recommendation. This discrepancy highlights a systemic failure to protect public health within communities.

Policy Deficiencies and Recommendations for SDG Alignment

Current national frameworks are insufficient to address the scale of the crisis, hindering progress towards multiple SDGs, including SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) by threatening the health of the future workforce. A fundamental policy overhaul is required.

1. Revise the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP): Despite the implementation of the NCAP in 2017, PM2.5 levels have continued to rise. A radical revision of the programme is necessary to establish more aggressive targets, stronger enforcement mechanisms, and greater accountability.
2. Update National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS): The NAAQS, last updated in November 2009, are critically outdated. They must be urgently revised to align with the latest scientific evidence and WHO guidelines to effectively safeguard public health and support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

• The article extensively discusses the severe health consequences of air pollution in India, directly linking it to this goal. It frames the issue as a “public health catastrophe,” highlighting the rise in deaths and the prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) caused by poor air quality. The text explicitly states, “In 2023, approximately 2 million deaths in India were linked to air pollution,” and details how these deaths are attributed to diseases like heart disease, lung cancer, and diabetes.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• This goal is relevant because the article focuses on ambient air quality, a critical aspect of the urban environment. The call to update the “National Ambient Air Quality Standards” and the statement that “every single person in India lives in areas where PM2.5 levels far exceeds the WHO guidelines” underscore the challenge of managing the environmental impact of human settlements and ensuring they are safe and healthy for inhabitants.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

1. Target 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one-third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.
   • The article directly supports this target by stating that “Nearly 9 in 10 of these deaths were attributed to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart disease, lung cancer, diabetes and now even dementia.” It further quantifies the impact, noting air pollution accounts for “about 33% of lung cancer deaths, about 25% of heart-disease deaths, and about 20% of diabetes deaths in India.”
2. Target 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination.
   • This target is central to the article’s argument. The text provides direct evidence of the high mortality rate from air pollution, stating, “India records around 186 air-pollution deaths per 100,000 people,” and that “approximately 2 million deaths in India were linked to air pollution” in 2023.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

1. Target 11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management.
   • The article’s focus on the failure to control air pollution aligns with this target. It highlights the inadequacy of current measures by stating, “Despite the launch of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in 2017, PM2.5 levels have continued to rise.” The call to “radically revise the NCAP” and “urgently update the National Ambient Air Quality Standards” is a direct appeal to improve air quality management in populated areas.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Indicators for SDG 3 Targets

• Mortality rate attributed to air pollution (related to Indicator 3.9.1): The article provides a precise figure that can be used as an indicator: “India records around 186 air-pollution deaths per 100,000 people.” It also gives an absolute number of “2 million deaths in India… linked to air pollution” for 2023.
• Mortality rate from non-communicable diseases (related to Indicator 3.4.1): While not providing an overall NCD mortality rate, the article implies this indicator by detailing the percentage of deaths from specific NCDs attributable to air pollution, such as “70% of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) deaths, about 33% of lung cancer deaths, about 25% of heart-disease deaths, and about 20% of diabetes deaths.”

Indicator for SDG 11 Target

• Annual mean levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) (related to Indicator 11.6.2): The article explicitly uses PM2.5 as the key metric for air quality. It states that India’s “present standard for PM2.5 is 8 times the WHO guideline for annual exposure” and that “PM2.5 levels have continued to rise.” This makes the measurement of PM2.5 levels a direct indicator for assessing progress.

4. Summary of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: m.economictimes.com