China’s pollution improves, deaths reduce in 74 cities

BEIJING: China’s efforts to control air pollution have “measurably” reduced smog in 74 cities, a new report says, however noting higher than accepted PM 2.5 levels and a substantial growth in ozone pollution.

The report, compiled by researchers from the Peking University’s School of Public Health, studied data between 2013 and 2017 in 74 cities across China and found that annual average concentrations of PM2.5, (fine particulate matter) PM 10 and sulphur dioxide had dropped by 33.3%, 27.8%, and 54.1%, respectively.

Using the “latest and widely recognised” integrated exposure response functions, the researchers found there were 47,000 fewer deaths and 710,000 fewer years of life lost attributable to air pollution in the 74 cities in 2017 in comparison to 2013.

China issued the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan in 2013 and pumped in billions of yuan to reduce emissions from vehicle and fuels, coal-fired electric generating units and the industrial sector. Five years later, progress has been made but a lot more needs to be done.

The research also showed there was “substantial growth in exposures to, and health effects from, ozone air pollution”.

Delhi has faced several days of critically high pollution level this summer, with PM10 levels in June eight times higher than the daily safe standards.

AK Anwar, a researcher at the London-based International Institute of Environment and Development, said China was able to bring down the pollution levels “because they created an action plan ushering in strict traffic curbs, and also brought about regulations on the city’s construction activities”.

Prashant Ranade, a professor of environmental engineering at IIT-Delhi, said the exercises implemented in Beijing are not difficult to replicate in Delhi. However, he felt the Chinese government, unlike India’s, does not have to deal with multiple agencies and political differences while applying strict norms.