A quarter of India's population is exposed to pollution levels not seen in any other country and an average Indian sees their life cut short by more than five years relative to what it would be if the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline was met, the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) by the Energy Policy Institute University of Chicago (EPIC) said on July 28.

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New data from the AQLI, which converts particulate air pollution into its impact on life expectancy, reveals that particulate pollution was the greatest risk to human health before COVID-19. And without strong and sustained public policy, it will be after COVID-19. According to the AQLI, particulate pollution in India has sharply increased by 42 percent over the last two decades.

Today, 84 percent of people in India live in areas that exceed the country's own air quality standards and the entire population is exposed to levels that exceed the WHO guideline. As a result, the average resident sees their life cut short by more than five years relative to what it would be if the WHO guideline was met; more than two years if the national standard was met. Meanwhile, a quarter of India's population is exposed to pollution levels not seen in any other country, with the nearly 230 million residents of Uttar Pradesh on track to lose more than eight years of life expectancy relative to the WHO guideline.

Residents of Delhi could see more than nine years added to their lives if pollution were reduced to meet the WHO guideline. "Though the threat of coronavirus is grave and deserves every bit of the attention it is receiving -- perhaps more in some places -- embracing the seriousness of air pollution with a similar vigour would allow billions of people around the world to lead longer and healthier lives," Michael Greenstone, the Milton Friedman Distinguished Service Professor in Economics and creator of the AQLI along with colleagues at the EPIC, said.

"The reality is, no shot in the arm will alleviate air pollution. For a country like India, the solution lies in robust public policy. The AQLI tells citizens and policymakers how particulate pollution is affecting them and their communities and can be used to measure the benefits of policies to reduce pollution."

New findings from the AQLI also indicate that citizens in states like Bihar and West Bengal can add more than seven years to their life if air quality met the WHO guideline. Residents in Haryana can expect to live eight years longer if the WHO guideline was achieved.

In 2019, the Central government declared a "war on pollution" and announced the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) to reduce particulate pollution by 20-30 percent relative to 2017 levels by 2024. Though the NCAP's goals are nonbinding, if India does achieve and sustain this reduction, it would lead to remarkable health improvements, according to the AQLI. A nationwide reduction of 25 percent -- the midpoint of the NCAP's target -- would increase India's national life expectancy by 1.6 years, and by 3.1 years for residents of Delhi.