In her reply, Patel had also mentioned that the government of India has taken “several steps to address the air pollution issue” and that the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) aims to safeguard the health of women and children by providing them with clean LPG.
However, a think tank report published in 2024 revealed 41 per cent of the Indian population still relies on wood, cow dung, or other biomass as cooking fuel.
This practice cumulatively emits around 340 million tonnes of carbon dioxide into the environment annually, accounting for approximately 13 per cent of India’s greenhouse gas emissions, it said.
According to the WHO, around 47 million health workers and advocates are calling for cleaner air to curb pollution-related deaths.
Over 50 countries, cities, and organisations pledged new commitments at the WHO’s second conference in the last week of March on air pollution and health in Cartagena to tackle air pollution, protect public health, and help halve its deadly impacts by 2040.
The goal is backed by a petition from 47 million health professionals, patients, and advocates demanding that clean air be made a public health priority, according to the WHO.
Speaking at the plenary session of the recently concluded WHO conference, its Director Dr Maria Neira reiterated that air pollution is a leading risk factor for both mortality and morbidity worldwide.
She said that it disproportionately harms low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) and that 90 per cent of air pollution-related deaths occur in these countries.
A previously published WHO report presented by Dr Neira at the session stated that air pollution impacts multiple organs, including the brain, lungs, heart, skin, pancreas, bones, liver, kidneys, blood vessels, and the reproductive system.
Some of the diseases associated with air pollution include lung cancer, pneumonia, decreased lung function or growth, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, poor bone metabolism, liver and digestive tract cancer, high blood pressure, systemic inflammation, neurodegenerative diseases, myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, congestive heart failure, and premature birth, among others.
Reacting to the issue being discussed on a global platform, Indian parliamentarian and Deputy Leader of the Indian National Congress in the Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, said that the Ministry of Health should evolve parameters to record air pollution as a significant contributing factor to death.
