Symbolic pictures.
The NGT has noted a report based on Lancet research. It is said that about 33,000 people die every year due to air pollution. The CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board) opposed the report in the NGT. The CPCB said the study’s data was not entirely accurate. Air pollution cannot be directly responsible for deaths. Not only that, but the satellite data and technology used in the study do not reflect the real situation in the country.
The NGT noted a newspaper report. The report said about 33,000 people die every year due to air pollution exceeding World Health Organization guidelines. The study included the country’s capital city of Delhi, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Shimla, Mumbai, Pune and Varanasi.
Central Pollution Control Board’s reply in NGT
In its reply to NGT, the CPCB said the study analyzed the average daily concentration of PM 2.5 particulate matter within one square kilometer in the country from 2008 to 2020. It also shows the mortality data received from each municipal corporation of the 10 cities. The study concluded that short-term exposure to PM 2.5 is associated with a high risk of death in the country, the CPCB claimed.
Sometimes it’s just a guess
According to the Pollution Control Board, the CPCB did not conduct an analysis of cause-specific mortality in most cities due to lack of data due to differences in death registration system capabilities and International Classification of Disease codes across states and cities. The reasons for this are often just estimates. Therefore, deaths cannot be attributed solely to air pollution.
