Shashwati Chowdhury
Published on: June 26, 2022 at 16:34 IST
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) took suo-moto cognizance of media reports quoting an external survey that said air pollution posed a serious threat to human health in India, reducing life expectancy by 5 years overall and 9.7 years for residents of Delhi.
According to media reports, on Saturday, the Commission has noted that, if true, the information in the media raises a serious right to life issue.
The Secretary of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change has received a notice from the Commission calling for a report on the matter, including the status of the National Clean Air Program launched in 2019, within four weeks.
The top polluted Indian States, according to the report, include Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, and Tripura.
The Commission had additionally expected that the State authorities will take the matter with the utmost sincerity and in a timely way.
According to media reports from June 15, 2022, if annual average PM 2.5 levels in Delhi would not exceed 5 micrograms per cubic metre, as per WHO standards, residents would live an additional 10 years longer on average.