The air pollution has been having a toll on the human life. and the pollution levels are expected to shorten the average life of an Indian by 9.7 years. As per the findings from the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) that is released by the Energy Policy Institute of the University of Chicago (EPIC), 40 percent of the Indian population will lose more than nine years of their life because of the pollution levels. The particulate pollution was restricted to Indo-Gangetic plains and this is now all over the country. The global particulate air pollution has to be reduced to meet the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) or else the average person is expected to lose 2.2 years from their lives.

Several studies told that the most polluted areas of the globe will see a cut in the lives by 5 years on an average. The average person of Chandigarh will lose 5.5 years due to air pollution in the region and in Punjab, the people can live 5.6 years longer if the pollution levels are kept under control. In Rajasthan, the people may lose 5.6 years of their lives because of the current pollution levels. Madhya Pradesh takes away 5.9 years of a person's life on an average and the people of West Bengal can lose 6.7 years of their life as per the 2019 air pollution index. The people of Jharkhand can lose 7.3 years from their lives. The pollution levels in Haryana are higher and they can lose 8.4 years from their lives.

Bihar is reeling with huge pollution levels and the people can shorten their lives by 8.8 percent by an average. The people of Uttar Pradesh are in a threat to lose 9.5 years from their lives. The Indian capital New Delhi reached the peak of air pollution and the people living in the national capital can lose their life by more than nine years on average.

By Siva Kumar