AIR pollution has now become a worldwide phenomenon with profound adverse effects on humans. 

 The Air Quality Index (AQI) – a measure of the level of pollutants in the air – rose beyond 400 in many places in Delhi. Despite a ban, farmers in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh are still burning crop residues leading to toxic smog that has engulfed vast areas of north India including Delhi. Change in weather and lack of wind speed has also led to the smog cover settling down over the city.

In an effort to induce a sense of urgency in the citizens and fi nd concrete action plans at all levels, VIBHA along with the Ministry of Earth Sciences organised the “Enviro-Health Conference – Air Pollution & Future Strategies with a Focus on the NCT of Delhi” on 2 November 2017 at Prithvi Bhawan, New Delhi. The agenda of the conference was to understand and overcome the acute problem of air pollution in and around Delhi. 

In his inaugural address, Dr. V.K. Saraswat, Member, NITI Aayog talked about the percentage of distribution of air pollution from various sources viz. 67% from transportation, 21% from industries, 7% from fuel consumption and the rest from various miscellaneous sources such as construction sites.The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) assessments estimated nearly 1 lakh premature deaths due to continued exposure to outdoor particulate matter, which is the fi fth largest killer in India. Dr. M. Rajeevan, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences said, “Air pollution is not only a problem of the elites, it’s a national and global issue.” We need to have a multi-pronged strategy and more accurate measurement of the problem and causes of air pollution, He said clean air is not an environmental issue, it is rather a health issue. He said the Central Pollution Control Board and the State Pollution Control Boards should set up committees to monitor the issue on a weekly basis.Long-term exposure to polluted air can have various adverse health effects including aggravated cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses such as asthma, decreased lung function and emphysema. It also affects the human reproductive and digestive systems.                                               

  Q-1: What is Air Quality Index(AQI) ?       

 Q-2: What causes toxic smog which engulfed vast areas of North India including Delhi ?

Q-3: What is the estimation of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) about premature deaths ?

Q-4: What are the various adverse health effects due to long term exposure to polluted air ?                                 

Q-5: What Dr .M.Rajeevan said about air pollution ?