Delhi is one of the cities with the worst air quality in the world, falling in the "unhealthy" or "hazardous" categories for 25 days in the month of October, per Swiss monitor IQAir. And now, a new survey is revealing the impact on families' health, with alarming results.
What's happening?
Bloomberg shared reporting from a poll conducted in Delhi, India's capital, by LocalCircles, showing that 81% of respondents stated that one or more members of their family are experiencing illness associated with the toxic air. Answering an additional question, half of the respondents said that in the past three weeks, they had purchased medicine like cough syrup and antibiotics and devices like inhalers to deal with their conditions.
"It is a public health concern and we are going to escalate this survey to the government today," LocalCircles founder Sachin Taparia told Bloomberg, adding that the findings will be reported to local and national authorities.
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Why is Delhi's air quality important?
Air pollution has a wide array of negative health impacts for humans, including cancer, stroke, heart disease, and pulmonary disease, to name a few from the World Health Organization. There is also evidence it can impact pregnancies and other cancers, diabetes, cognitive impairment, and neurological diseases.
In 2019, 1.67 million deaths in India were attributed to air pollution, about 17.8% of the country's total loss of life that year.
"It is also having a profound effect on the next generation of Indians," said Boston College professor of biology Philip J. Landrigan, M.D. "It increases future risk for heart disease, diabetes, and respiratory disease for today's children when they become adults. It is reducing children's IQ. It will be very difficult for India to move forward socially or economically if they don't do something about the problem."
What's being done about Delhi's air quality?
India's Supreme Court is urging authorities to take stricter action on air quality, aiming to tighten regulations on farmers burning paddy stubble, the leftover product after grain is collected. The country is also investing in greener technologies, like a high-speed railway set to be completed next year.
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