Soon Delhiites will need 5 oxygen cylinders a day to survive: Experts

Several environmental experts on Saturday issued a warning against the high levelof pollution in New Delhi and adjoining regionand said thatif the pollution level continues to remain at this level, the citizenswill soon have to walk around with oxygen cylinders on their backs.

A person would need at least five oxygen cylinders a day, theywarned.

The warning was issued after the national capital's air became the cause of several ailments, including premature birth, reducing lung immunity, allergies or aggravation of existing allergies, strokes, heart and lung disease, cancer and other acute respiratory diseases, as per media reports.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

Recently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) revealed that about 92 per cent of the world's population, including in India, lives in areas where air quality is below acceptable standards.

It further said that 88 per cent of premature deaths occur in low and middle-income countries where air pollution is high and escalating.

Air pollution in Delhi-NCR occurs due to a complex mix of pollution from human activities such as vehicle emissions, industry, construction, residential fuel burning, dust and sea salt, according to the website delhiair.org.

The NCR generates 10,000 tons per day of municipal solid waste, much of which is eventually burned, and thus, adding particulate pollution to the air.

Meanwhile, on Friday, the Union Environment Ministry gave a week's time to agencies to respond whether deadlines listed in a plan to clean Delhi's air by a Supreme Court-monitored panel suits them or not.

The Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) has also come out with several recommendations in the 'Comprehensive Action Plan for Air Pollution', which was submitted in the apex court last month.