‘Toxic air costing you up to 20 months’

AHMEDABAD: The life expectancy of Gujarat residents reduced by 1 year and 7 months last year because of ambient air pollution or PM2.5 pollution — tiny particles of 2.5 microns from vehicular exhausts, industries and powerhouse chimneys. These particles have a diameter 30 times smaller than that of a human hair and can enter our lung air sacs and cross into our blood stream.
In case of men, the life expectancy decreased by 1.8 years and it was 1.7 years in case of women. These startling facts have emerged in the latest Lancet report ‘The impact of air pollution on deaths, disease burden, and life expectancy,’ released on Wednesday.

In 2016 alone, another Lancet study had claimed that approximately 43,000 people had died of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) while 9,000 died of chronic asthma in the state. The figure was computed based on epidemiological transition level (ETL) — change in mortality rates brought about by medical advancements — and disability adjusted life years (DALY). But here’s the real danger. In Gujarat, the percentage of citizens at risk from ambient particulate matter (PM1, PM2.5 and PM10), is nearly 32%, which is higher than proportion of people at risk from smoking. The percentage of population that faces the risk of pulmonary diseases due to smoking is 21%.

Not just outdoor particulate pollution, but nearly 19% Gujaratis face COPD risk from household air pollution owing to lack of access to clean cooking fuels, while 7.5% of the population is exposed to ambient ozone pollution and about 15% is exposed to occupational particulate matter.

Paryavaranmitra member Mahesh Pandya said, “In most Gujarat cities ambient pollution can be reduced with efficient transport systems that run on clean fuels.” He adds, “In 1991 there were 900 red AMTS buses, and today we have a combined bus fleet — BRTs and AMTS at 1,055 while population is close to 57 lakh.”