HYDERABAD: Days after a study revealed that air pollution has shortened the average life expectancy of nearly 36 million residents of Telangana by 3.1 years, the Telangana State Pollution Control Board (TSPCB) officials have rejected the study.
A recent report by the Energy Policy Institute at The University of Chicago (EPIC) stated that if Telangana were to comply with WHO’s air quality standard, its people could live around 3.1 years longer.
Speaking to Express, an official from the TSPCB’s Air Pollution Department, on the conditions of anonymity, said, "There are multiple studies that have multiple claims. To understand the actual implications of the air pollution in our country, we have to only rely on government studies. The claim of reduction in average life expectancy is not completely true. High levels of air pollutants might have implications on people who have health issues."
According to World Health Organisation (WHO) standards, a safe limit for an annual average for particulate matter (PM2.5) in India set by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) is 40ug/m3, against the international safe limit of 10ug/m3.
In 2019, the Centre had launched the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) intending to reduce particulate pollution by 20-30 per cent relative to 2017 levels by 2024. However, the report added that if NCAP’s goals were achieved, it would lead to remarkable health improvements.
According to a recent study, if only the State were to adhere to 25 per cent, the midpoint of the NCAP’s target, it would increase the life expectancy of the State’s citizen by 1.1 years.
Regarding this, the official said, "During the complete lockdown in the country when the pollution levels were lowest and were under our national permissible limits, at that time as well, we were still above the international air pollution levels. It is due to different climate and geography. Every country has its own scientifically designed standards," he added.