New Delhi: The Northern Plains of India are home to the world’s 50 most heavily polluted regions, according to a report by the University of Chicago.The report said that the majority of this region, encompassing seven states and Union territories including Bihar, Chandigarh, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal, bears the highest health burden attributable to particulate pollution in India.The report mentioned that the Northern Plains of India are synonymous with North India, Northern India, and the North Indian Belt.The report, titled ‘AQLI 2023’, is written by Michael Greenstone and Christa Hasenkopf.Fine particulate air pollution, known as PM2.5, has been found to reduce the average life expectancy of an Indian citizen by 5.3 years when compared to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended guideline of 5 µg/m3.In North India, this particulate pollution is even more severe, cutting lives short by eight years, according to the report.The people of the Northern Plains, which is home to a population of 521.2 million people, or 38.9% of India’s total population, reside in areas where the annual average particulate pollution levels are 17.3 times higher than the WHO guideline.Shockingly, from 1998 to 2021, the average annual particulate pollution has surged by 61%, further diminishing life expectancy by 3.2 years.In the most polluted region of the Northern Plains, namely the National Capital Territory of Delhi, its 18 million inhabitants are facing a potential loss of 11.9 years of life expectancy relative to the WHO guideline, and 8.5 years relative to the national guideline, should current pollution levels persist.Delhi ranks as the most polluted city in India and across the globe.Every year, following Diwali, a surge in cases of respiratory problems and other health emergencies is reported, largely attributed to the significant increase in pollution resulting from the burning of firecrackers.Other causes of air pollution in the national capital can be attributed to the burning of farm stubble in neighbouring states, industrial emissions, pollution from vehicles, and seasonal weather.The University of Chicago report further pointed out that even in the least contaminated district within the region, Pathankot, which is in Punjab, particulate pollution levels exceed the WHO guideline by more than sevenfold, thereby shortening life expectancy by 3.1 years if current levels persist.In 2019, India initiated the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) as part of its “war against pollution”. Initially, NCAP aimed to decrease particulate pollution by 20-30% nationwide by 2024, focusing on 102 cities failing to meet India’s PM2.5 standards. However, in 2022, the government revised its pollution reduction target under NCAP.It didn’t set a national goal, but instead, it set an ambitious city-level target of a 40% reduction by 2025-26 for an expanded list of 131 non-attainment cities, the report said.Achieving this target would lead to a 21.9 µg/m³ reduction in annual average PM2.5 exposure relative to 2017 levels, resulting in a 2.1-year increase in life expectancy for citizens in these 131 cities, and a 7.9-month increase for the average Indian nationwide.“[At least] 38 of these 131 targeted cities (almost 30%) belong to the Northern Plains of India,” it added.