No conclusive data to show direct link of death exclusively with air pollution: MoS Health

New Delhi: There is no conclusive data available in the country to establish a direct correlation of death/disease exclusively due to air pollution, Minister of State for Health, Prataprao Jadhav, told the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

Air pollution is one of the triggering factors for respiratory ailments and associated diseases, Jadhav said in a written reply.

The health effects of air pollution are a synergistic manifestation of factors, which include food habits, occupational habits, socioeconomic status, medical history, immunity, heredity, etc., of the individuals.

The government of India has taken several steps to address air pollution issues, he said.

The National Programme for Climate Change and Human Health (NPCCHH) has been implemented with an objective to create awareness, capacity building, health sector preparedness and response and partnerships related activities on climate sensitive health issues since 2019, according to the reply.

Under NPCCHH, the government of India has developed a “Health Adaptation Plan" on issues related to air pollution, Jadhav said.

It has also developed a “State Action Plan” on climate change and human health for all 36 states and UTs.

The state-specific action plan contains a dedicated chapter on air pollution, which suggests interventions to reduce the impact.

The health ministry issues public health advisories to states and UTs, suggesting ways to reduce the impact of air pollution, while nationwide public awareness campaigns are organised in coordination with the states annually for World Environment Day (June 5), International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies (September 7) and National Pollution Control Day (December 2), the reply said.

Dedicated training modules on air pollution have been developed for programme managers, medical officers and nurses, nodal officers, frontline staff like ASHA workers, vulnerable groups like women and children, occupationally-exposed groups like traffic police, municipal workers, etc.

Early warning systems/alerts for air pollution as well as air quality forecasts are disseminated from the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) to states and cities to prepare the health sector as well as the community, including the vulnerable population, Jadhav said.

The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) aims to safeguard the health of women and children by providing them with liquid petroleum gas (LPG) for cooking.

The Swachh Bharat Mission aims to clean up streets, roads and infrastructure of India's cities, smaller towns, and rural areas, and Swachh Hawa is an integral component of Swachh Bharat, the minister said.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change launched the National Clean Air programme in 2019 as a national-level strategy to reduce air pollution levels across the country, he said.