US scientist Richard Peltier, a member of WHO s Global Air Pollution and Health Technical Advisory Group, emphasized that improving air quality in India is a long-term effort. He noted that costly technologies like smog towers and cloud seeding are not sustainable solutions. Peltier mentioned the US Clean Air Act, implemented in the 1960s, took decades to achieve improved air quality, and similar patience is required for India.
Outdoor air pollution from all sources accounts for 2.18 million deaths per year in India, second only to China, according to a modelling study published in The BMJ. The research found that air pollution from using fossil fuels in industry, power generation, and transportation accounts for 5.1 million extra deaths a year worldwide.
Dr Ankita Priydarshini, consultant psychiatrist & founder, Thriving Minds, Dehradun, explained that poor air quality can expose individuals to pollutants, which can enter the bloodstream and potentially reach the brain, affecting neurological functions