Researchers found that 7.2 percent—equivalent to 33,627 deaths—of all fatalities across 10 Indian cities annually could be attributed to short-term PM 2.5 exposure.
The study calls for urgent attention not only to cities with high seasonal pollution spikes but also to those considered relatively clean but still burdened with significant health impacts. In picture, the Cubbon Park in Bengaluru. (Samson Joseph/Wikimedia Commons)
A study published in The Lancet put Bengaluru’s pollution-related death behind Chennai’s 2,870 fatalities. A total of 1,597 people in Hyderabad, too, succumbed to pollution. Researchers found that 7.2 percent—equivalent to 33,627 deaths—of all yearly fatalities across 10 Indian cities could be attributed to short-term Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5 exposure, exceeding the WHO guidelines.