This is no exaggeration that air pollution do cast shadow over the life expectancy. The study, carried out jointly by New Delhi and Colorado based institutes, has brought out the fact that life expectancy of Indians by an average of 3.4 years has been reduced with Delhi topping the list at 6.3 years followed by West Bengal and Bihar at the reduced life expectancy at 6.1 years and 5.7 years, respectively. However, no significant mortality was observed in Jammu and Kashmir (0.6 years) and Himachal Pradesh (1.2 years). Along with Delhi and Bihar, other states where life expectancy is found reduced due to air pollution are: Jharkhand (5.2 years), Uttar Pradesh and Odisha (4.8 years), Haryana and Punjab (4.7 years), Chattisgarh (4.1 years), Assam (4 years), Tripura (3.9 years), Meghalaya (3.8 years) and Maharashtra (3.3 years). Uttar Pradesh has the highest premature mortalities due to exposure of contaminated air, which accounts for about 15 per cent of all premature mortalities in the country during 2011, followed by Maharashtra (10 per cent), West Bengal (9 per cent) and Bihar (8 per cent). States like Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Rajasthan collectively make for 32 per cent of countrywide PM2.5 premature mortalities. The percentage of the Ozone-related mortalities owing to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease was highest in Uttar Pradesh (18 per cent) followed by Bihar (11 per cent), West Bengal (9.5 per cent), Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh (7 per cent each). The air pollution levels have gone up due to rapid industrialisation, transportation and burning of bio fuels. Upward trends in transportation, industrial and energy sectors, urbanisation, population growth in India, along with climate change, will raise the levels of ozone and pollution in future, which could worsen the vulnerability of a growing population. There is need for immediate measures to be undertaken by the government and even at the individual level to control the situation from further worsening.
