China has done a commendable job in controlling pollution!

Winter is going to knock in India in a month or so. Along with this, the problem of pollution will also return like every time. Which will be enough to make you sick. The sky will not be visible for many days due to the blanket of fog, so wearing masks will be advised. So there is a situation of closing schools and colleges. And if you live in Delhi, then assume that you are inhaling the most poisonous air in the world. Delhi is at the top of the most polluted cities in the world.

China also used to face a similar situation. However, a report by the United Nations says that China has controlled pollution to a great extent. Not only China, but European countries have also seen a lot of improvement. According to the report, due to the decline in human emissions in China and Europe, the level of PM 2.5 has also decreased. Why is PM 2.5 so dangerous and how is the condition of pollution in India?

PM means Particulate Matter. These are very fine particles of pollution that cause pollution. The diameter of these particles is 2.5 micrometers or less. These particles are very dangerous to health. Especially if we are exposed to these particles for a long time, it affects health badly.

It is said that they reach our blood vessels through our lungs. These particles are usually produced from sources like fossil fuels, forest fires, and dust flying in the desert. And China has succeeded in controlling all these activities.

How is the situation of pollution in India?

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has informed that due to forest fires in North America, much more PM 2.5 particles were produced than the average from 2003 to 2023. Similarly, due to increasing pollution due to human and industrial activities, the level of PM 2.5 in India was also much higher than normal.

Countries like India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh may have geopolitical differences but when it comes to tackling pollution, all three countries find themselves in the same boat. In 2023, India is listed as the third most polluted country globally. This information has been given in a report named IQAir. In which the average PM 2.5 amount was recorded at 54.4 (μg/m3). This is 10 times more than the World Health Organization / WHO standard of 5 μg/m3.

Pollution also affects the age of Indians

According to many reports, the pollution present in Indian cities is a big threat to people's health in terms of life expectancy. It is taking away an average of 5.4 years of life from every Indian. This simply means that if the air of the country becomes clean, then the life of every person living here will increase by an average of five years. The people living in Delhi-NCR areas, which are most affected by pollution every year, will get the most benefit from this.

Deaths due to polluted air are also more

Now let's take a look at the statistics of deaths due to polluted air. This is according to the State of Global Air Report 2024. According to this, 81 lakh people died worldwide in the year 2021 due to air pollution. The highest number of deaths occurred in China at 23 lakh and in India at 21 lakh. Not only this, air pollution in India caused the death of about 1 lakh 69 thousand 400 children under the age of 5 years.