Air pollution caused 16 lakh deaths in India in 2021, with emissions from fossil fuels such as coal and liquid natural gas being responsible for 38% of them, according to a report by medical journal The Lancet.

The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change 2024, released on Tuesday, highlighted that the continued use of fossil fuels and biomass contributes significantly to air pollution, raising the risk of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, lung cancer, diabetes, neurological disorders, adverse pregnancy outcomes and overall disease burden and mortality.

The report found that renewable energy use in India has increased since 2000, providing a record 11% of the country’s electricity in 2022. However, coal still accounts for 71% of India’s electricity generation, underlining the need for an immediate transition to clean energy sources.

In 2022, India accounted for 15.8% of global consumption-based PM [particulate matter] 2.5 emissions and 16.9% of production-based emissions, making it the second-highest emitter of PM2.5 worldwide, the report noted.

PM2.5 refers to tiny airborne particles about 30 times smaller than the width of a human hair and can easily be breathed into the lungs and the bloodstream.

The Lancet report also noted that 2023 was the hottest year on record globally, marked by extreme temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns. This led to severe droughts, deadly heatwaves, destructive forest fires, storms and floods, causing significant harm to health, lives and livelihoods globally.

The report estimated that between 2014 and 2023, infants in India experienced an average of 7.7 heatwave days per year, while adults over 65 years of age experienced 8.4 such days annually. This marks a 47% and 58% increase, respectively, compared to the decade between 1990 and 1999.

The report also said that India lost 181 billion potential labour hours in 2023 due to heat exposure, marking a 50% increase from the average between 1990 and 1999. This translates to an estimated loss of $141 billion, or over Rs 11 lakh crore, in income for citizens.

Rising temperatures and changing precipitation patterns have favoured the global spread of deadly diseases like dengue, malaria, West Nile virus-related illnesses and vibriosis, the study noted. It said that in India, dengue transmission increased by 85% from the 1950s to the period between 2014 and 2023.

Commenting on the report, Congress MP and former Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said that air pollution should be among the country’s foremost administrative priorities. Referring to the high pollution levels that Delhi is currently experiencing, he said that cracking down on stubble burning “as an easy win” will not be enough.

“We need to re-imagine our economic and sustainability model, with a large-scale shift to renewable energy, electric vehicles, and public transport,” Ramesh said on X.

The Congress leader said it was also time to revamp the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 to “reflect the public health consequences of air pollution”.