If Delhi’s foul air is cleaned up and made to meet the World Health Organisation standards, city residents stand to gain nine years in average in their life span, a study has said.

The Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) developed by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC), when considered at the national level, says Indians could live four years longer in average if its air quality meets WHO standards.

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“The AQLI reveals that if India reduced its air pollution to comply with the WHO’s air quality standard, its people could live about 4 years longer on average, or a combined more than 4.7 billion life years.

“Some of the greatest gains would be seen in the country’s largest cities, such as Delhi. There, people could live 6 years longer if the country met its national standards, and 9 years longer if the country met WHO standards,” the study says.

The AQLI arrives at the conclusions by translating the particulate concentrations into their impact on lifespans, “unlike previous studies that tend to rely on data tracking people’s exposure over a short time period”.

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