Rising air pollution is causing concerns around the globe. Several environmentalists have repeatedly stressed the importance of reducing toxic pollutants from the atmosphere as they are having a catastrophic impact on the health of citizens in almost every country.?
Now, in a fresh report by The British Heart Foundation (BHF), it has been observed that more than 1,60,000 people could die over the next decade from strokes and heart attacks caused by air pollution.?
According to a report in The Guardian, the Foundation which compiled the figures said that there are an estimated 11,000 deaths per year at the moment, but that this will rise as the population continues to age.
The charity organisation has urged the UK to adopt the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines on air pollution and meet them by 2030.?
But health hazards of air pollution is more severe in India and all efforts seem to have failed. In the weeks leading up to the current winter season, a thick layer of smog engulfed India¡¯s national capital, causing widespread respiratory problems among the residents.
The Air Quality Index (AQI), which indicates how clean the air is, had gone past the dangerous mark and touched severe levels in many areas at several occasions, forcing people to stay indoors.
In the months of November and December 2019, Delhi, in particular, and India at large, saw a dramatic drop in air quality. In some parts of the national capital, where it has breached the ¡®999¡¯ mark which is a number far beyond what is measurable. Considering that the World Health Organisation (WHO) considers anything about 25 to be unsafe, this is a scary level of pollution to find ourselves engulfed in.
The BHF said PM2.5 can have a ¡°seriously detrimental effect to heart health¡±, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke and making existing health problems worse.
In India, scientists and doctors have also warned that the air is so bad that it is equivalent to smoking as many as 44 cigarettes a day. That leaves everybody at risk of facing serious health hazards and according to the observations put forth in the given report, the catastrophic impacts are going to mount further in the coming decade.?
It is also worth noting at this crucial juncture that despite a ban on crackers by the Supreme Court before the Hindu festival of Deepavali, scores of people openly violated the restriction. In doing so, we only increase the risks we are likely to face in the coming years.?
That air pollution is a major problem and cause of concern is known by one and all. At the same time, the government organisations and NGOs are also aware of the precautionary measures that have been set forth by WHO and other institutes of repute.?
Despite everything, we tend to violate them every now and then. We have also failed to build a national policy of sorts that could help curtail air pollution and reduce its levels. It is high time that we take a note of it and act collectively for our own well-being and the safeguarding of the beautiful planet that we call home.?
There¡¯s no time to be wasted, we must act now!