Nationally, indoor air pollution, mainly the result of cooking with fossil fuels such as coal and wood, has come down markedly since 1990, but outdoor air pollution has increased. Taken together, indoor and outdoor air pollution made up more than 10% of the total burden of disease in 2016, second only to child and maternal malnutrition. The main risks from air pollution are cardiovascular and respiratory diseases—to which it makes a “substantial contribution”. “The burden due to household air pollution is highest in the EAG states, where its improvement since 1990 has also been the slowest. In Delhi, air pollution is seasonal: with the onset of the winter, two things happen.

Source: Mint November 16, 2017 23:15 UTC