India tops pollution deaths: ‘25 lakh a year’

London, October 20

Pollution caused 90 lakh deaths in 2015 — three times more than AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined — scientists said on Thursday, calling for governments in poor countries to act.

India fared worst, with 25 lakh people dying early because of pollution, followed by China with 18 lakh deaths, according to The Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health, a two-year initiative seeking to highlight the issue.

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One in six of all deaths worldwide are caused by pollution, and the vast majority occur in developing countries, the report in The Lancet medical journal said.

“With globalisation, mining and manufacturing shifted to poorer countries, where environmental regulations and enforcement can be lax,” said Karti Sandilya, one of the authors and an adviser to environmental group Pure Earth.

“People in poorer countries, like construction workers in New Delhi, are more exposed to air pollution and less able to protect themselves from exposure, as they walk, bike or ride the bus to workplaces that may also be polluted.” In contrast, many people in developed countries commute to air-conditioned offices in air-conditioned cars, he said.

Exposure to high levels of air pollution can affect human respiratory and inflammatory systems, and can lead to heart disease, stroke and lung cancer. — Reuters