Deaths Tied to Air Pollution Tripled in The Past 20 Years in India: Report

Air quality in India's metros is some of the worst in the world.

More than 92 percent of Indians live in areas where air quality and pollution levels are below the World Health Organisation's (WHO) lowest air quality standards, according to a new report from the Center for Science and Environment.

Deaths tied to ambient PM2.5 levels in 2019 were at 9,79,900, which is 3.5 times the deaths from 1990 which were at 2,79,500.

PM2.5 refers to fine particle matter less than 2.5 microns in size which can penetrate deep into the lungs and cause nose, eye, and lung irritation in the short term. In the long term it can lead to increased cardiovascular and respiratory risks.