BLACK LUNGS: ULTIMATE GUIDE TO DELHI'S TOXIC AIR

We dissect this complex regional crisis, the failed efforts, and the factors keeping north India permanently choked

- Sayantan Bera

For most part of human civilization, the average life expectancy was dismal. Someone born in 1800 was not expected to live beyond thirty. A century later, by 1900, this number improved only marginally to 32 years. The largest increase came post 1950s, when life expectancy rose from a little over 46 years to 73 years by 2023. This dramatic rise in the length of human life was possibly because of multiple advancements in healthcare, access to vaccines, better nutrition and improvement of living standards.

In India, the average life expectancy is 72 years. But deteriorating air quality is now threatening to shorten lives. As per a 2025 report from the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC), an average Indian is losing 3.5 years of their life due to dirty air. And for a resident of its national capital Delhi, the life expectancy is shortened by 8.2 years.

The science here is quite clear. Life spans are shortened by particulate matter pollution, particularly PM2.5, which are fine particles of 2.5 microns or less in diameter. PM2.5 particles can penetrate deep into the respiratory system, enter the bloodstream, and increase the risk of cardiovascular and neurological diseases, cancer and premature death. Children are more vulnerable to air pollution because they breathe more air per unit of body weight. Due to a higher respiratory rate compared to adults, children inhale larger doses of pollution when exposed to the same environment.

In 2024, the average PM2.5 concentration in India was 50.6 microgram per cubic metre. This is 10 times the World Health Organization's (WHO) guideline value, and higher than India's own annual PM2.5 standard of 40 micrograms per cubic metre. In 2024, the average PM2.5 reading of Delhi was 108.3, over 20 times the desired value, as per the IQAir 2024 World Air Quality Report.