No Conclusive Data Linking AQI Directly to Lung Disease, Centre Tells Parliament

New Delhi: There was a huge uproar during the winter session of Parliament on the issue of pollution in Delhi-NCR. During the Rajya Sabha proceedings, the government told Parliament that there is no concrete evidence that increasing AQI levels directly causes lung diseases. However, the Environment Ministry has also said that air pollution is definitely a reason for increasing respiratory diseases and other related problems.

This reply of the government came to the question of BJP MP Laxmikant Vajpayee. In which he had asked whether the government knows that due to poor AQI in Delhi-NCR, people's lung capacity is decreasing and serious diseases like fibrosis in the lungs are occurring, as claimed in many reports. He had also asked what the government was doing to save millions of people from these diseases.

Government said – no concrete data

Responding to a Rajya Sabha member's questions, the ministry said there is no "concrete data available to prove that deaths are caused solely by air pollution." He also clarified that health depends on many things, like diet, work style, socio-economic status, chronic diseases, immunity and genetics, it does not just depend on the environment.

These steps are being taken to deal with air pollution

The government said that many steps are being taken to deal with air pollution. Special training modules have been created for people like program managers, medical officers, nurses, Asha workers and traffic police. Information has been prepared in English, Hindi and regional languages ​​to provide information about diseases caused by air pollution. The National Program on Climate Change and Human Health (NPCCHH) has also created special information materials for children, women and working people.