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<keyword id="6358777" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="New-Delhi">New Delhi</keyword>, <keyword id="55910" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Air-Pollution">Air pollution</keyword> caused by hazardous PM2.5 fine particulate matter led to the <keyword id="6355784" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="death">death</keyword> of 54,000 people in <keyword id="66" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Delhi">Delhi</keyword> last year where pollution levels remained almost six times above the prescribed WHO limits, according to a new study. According to a <keyword id="69355" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Greenpeace">Greenpeace</keyword> Southeast Asia analysis of IQAir data, 1800 deaths per million were estimated due to PM2.5 air pollution in Delhi. "The PM2.5 air pollution claimed approximately 54,000 lives in India's national capital in 2020," the study said. PM2.5 refers to fine particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter. Exposure to PM2.5 is considered the most important environmental risk factor for deaths globally, and was attributed to 4.2 million premature deaths in 2015, the study said. The study noted that the damage is equally worrying in other Indian cities. "An estimated 25,000 avoidable deaths in Mumbai in 2020 have been attributed to air pollution. Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and Lucknow estimated an approximate 12000, 11000, 11000, and 6700 avoidable deaths respectively due to polluted air," it said Noting that the air pollutant levels in Delhi remained almost six times above the prescribed WHO limits of 10 μg/m3 annual mean, the study said the estimated air pollution-related economic losses were USD 8.1 billion (Rs 58,895 crore), which amounts to 13 per cent of Delhi's annual GDP. "Despite a temporary reprieve in <keyword id="53848" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="air-quality">air quality</keyword> owing to the lockdown, the latest figures from the report underscore the need to act immediately. The need of the hour is to rapidly scale up renewable energy, bring an end to fossil fuel emissions and boost sustainable and accessible transport systems," the study said. Globally, approximate 160,000 deaths have been attributed to PM2.5 air pollution in the five most populous cities of Delhi (30 million), Mexico City (22 million), Sao Paulo (22 million), Shanghai (26 million) and Tokyo (37 million), it said. "Despite recording relatively better air quality this year due to strict lockdown, air pollution continues to be a serious public health issue which also drastically impacts our economy. For the governments of the day, it is crucial that investments are made towards green and sustainable solutions. When we choose fossil fuel over <keyword id="154273" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="clean-energy">clean energy</keyword>, our health is put at stake. Polluted air increases the likelihood of deaths due to cancer &amp; stroke, spike in asthma attacks and worsens severity of COVID-19 symptoms," said Avinash Chanchal, Climate Campaigner, <keyword id="6356502" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="greenpeace-india">Greenpeace India</keyword>. "We need to ensure our growth demand is fuelled by sustainable and cleaner sources of energy and cities should promote low cost , active and carbon-neutral transport options that prioritises walking, cycling, and public transport, the increased use of clean energy and clean transport will not only improve the public health but it will also strengthen the economy and public money" added Chanchal. Commenting on the revelations made by cost estimator CEO of IQAir, Frank Hammes says, "Breathing should not be deadly. The fact that poor air quality claimed an estimated 160,000 lives in the five largest cities alone should give us pause, especially in a year when many cities were seeing lower air pollution levels due to less economic activity. Governments, corporations and individuals must do more to eliminate the sources of air pollution and make our cities better places to live." To show the impact of air pollution related deaths on the economy, Greenpeace said it used the approach called "willingness-to-pay" which means a lost life year or a year lived with disability is converted to money by the amount that people are willing to pay in order to avoid this negative outcome. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/india-issues-new-guidelines-for-passengers-arriving-from-the-uk-brazil-europe-and-middle-east-countries/articleshow/81083248.cms">India issues new guidelines for passengers arriving from the UK, Brazil, Europe and Middle-East countries</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/not-just-a-tiktok-clone-says-chingari-app-founder-with-their-latest-shop-within-videos-feature-which-he-claims-is-the-next-big-thing-in-social-commerce/articleshow/81084432.cms">‘Not just a TikTok clone,’ says Chingari founder with their latest shop within videos feature which he claims is the next big thing in social commerce</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/samsung-galaxy-f62-review-the-new-mid-range-killer/articleshow/81084382.cms">Samsung Galaxy F62 review – the new mid-range killer</a>

PM2.5 air pollution claimed 54,000 lives in Delhi last year, says study

<ul><li>The Airtel <keyword id="846502" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Delhi-half-marathon">Delhi half-marathon</keyword> race tried using ultra-high frequency radio waves to cleanse air for runners. </li><li>The organisers also used other conventional measures like spraying water vapour from a height of 20 ft to reduce smog. </li><li>New Delhi’s air quality has been ranging between 301 to 400 which is in the ‘very poor’ category. </li></ul>In a battle against the national capital’s worsening air quality, the organisers of the New Delhi half-marathon used ultra-high frequency (UHF) radio waves to make the environment conducive for the participants. The UHF technology, manufactured by a Bengaluru-based, <keyword id="6978130" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Devic-Earth">Devic Earth</keyword>, broadcasts radio waves that reduce air pollutants like carbon-dioxide, nitrogen-dioxide and sulphur-dioxide by 30%-40%. The Delhi half marathon organisers signed on Devic Earth to install two of these machines along the race routes. One of the machines was installed at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium whereas the other was set up outside the Le Meridien hotel on Janpath. According to the <a href="https://www.devic-earth.com/pure-skies">company’s website</a>, the Pure Skies Technology system can improve air quality by 33%. Moreover, the devices installed over the rooftop (for external air quality check) covers an average area of 10-20 km. But, the company refuted the fact that the central environment ministry had <a href="https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/radio-waves-versus-pollution/cid/1672304">pumped in ₹5.5 lac</a> as initial capital to commence the project. The event organisers also tried other tried-and-tested measures like dampening the dust, treating the roads with reagents and spraying water vapour. The Airtel Delhi half-marathon was called-off last year due to toxic smog which covered the whole city just before the Diwali festival. The celebration period during Diwali contributes significantly to polluting the city and causing the air quality to plummet. Apart from this, vehicular pollution is another contributing factor which worsens pollution levels every year. In a conversation with Business Insider India, one of the race participants, Sukriti Kalra, said, “Generally, I go for a daily run and struggle with a lot of smog but yesterday I felt that the measures taken by the New Delhi half-marathon team had improved air quality. The efforts seem to be pretty effective. The organisers took care of all the requirements, particularly cleansing the air for the runners, which made a difference for the race participants.” The company or the organisers did not reveal the results of using the machine but data from tracking devices at the Delhi Pollution Control committee at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium revealed that PM 2.5 and PM 10 were recorded at beyond 200 micrograms per cubic metre, much above the acceptable limit. The level of particulate matter plummeted on the morning of the race day, but it also jumped quickly during the daytime. Surprisingly, pollution experts are not sure of the after-effects of using this technology to curb the air pollution issue in Delhi. However, the race organiser did seek <a href="https://scroll.in/article/899342/delhi-half-marathons-use-of-radio-waves-in-bid-to-curb-air-pollution-leaves-experts-sceptical">an approval</a> before installing the machines and was given a go ahead. There were also concerns about the use of radio wave technology as it impacts the ecology adversely. Pollution experts have strongly recommended checking environmental impact of using such radio wave technology prior to using machines like these on a mass level. The <a href="http://safar.tropmet.res.in/">recent data </a>by System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), has revealed that the <keyword id="2071721" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Air-Quality-Index">Air Quality Index</keyword> of India’s capital remains ‘very poor’, ranging between 301 to 400. In order to contain the pollution issue in New-Delhi, the central government has formed Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority, also known as EPCA. The government body, powered by Supreme Court, will work on measures to reduce pollution in the national capital region (NCR).

India’s national capital used radio waves to battle air quality during the city’s half marathon

In the wake of the detection of BF.7 <keyword id="1609796" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="omicron" source="Orion">Omicron</keyword> sub-variant in different parts of India, experts have called for diligent following of Covid-19 protocols in Karnataka, said Navodaya <keyword id="1973038" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="gilla" source="Orion">Gilla</keyword>, Consultant -- Internal medicine, CARE Hospitals Group. Also called the Omicron Spawn, the BF.7 sub-variant is the newest form that has high transmissibility. This is because the new variant quickly bypasses the immunity that a person has developed through a natural infection with an earlier variant or even if the complete course of the vaccines is taken, he added. Due to this, there is an expectation that the world might see a fourth wave of the pandemic. This new Omicron variant was first detected in China and India has seen its first case of this variant in Gujarat. Initially in the pandemic, the virus mutated several times and the WHO declared the delta variant as the most severe one, Gilla said. The symptoms of the new BF.7 sub-variant are similar to the common flu and include cold, cough, fever, body pain, etc. As it is highly transmittable, it spreads to a larger group of people within a short duration, he added. "There was also a new variant, named BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 detected recently in <keyword id="2094" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="pune" source="Orion">Pune</keyword>. We are not yet fully aware of its severity as it is a relatively new mutant and we have not seen many cases till now," Gilla said. "We will wait for the government to share any modified guidelines but until then, we need to diligently follow the protocols -- maintaining social distancing, wearing masks, frequent handwashing and completing the course of vaccination. Furthermore, elderly people, pregnant women, children, infants and those with chronic disorders like diabetes, hypertension, cancer and immunosuppressive disorders should stringently follow the protocols as they are at very high risk," he added. Aditya Chowti, Senior Consultant -- Internal Medicine, Fortis Hospital, Cunningham Road, <keyword id="6354321" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="bengaluru" source="Orion">Bengaluru</keyword>, said that based on certain cases that we have seen in the recent past, there seems to be a newer sub-variant of the Omicron virus. "However, we are seeing that the sub-variant does not seem to be causing any deadly conditions. Nevertheless, it is more contagious than before, which means it can spread among the infected people faster. So, it is imperative that we follow certain basic <keyword id="8764262" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="covid" source="Orion">Covid</keyword> norms," he says. It is important to be careful in public places since we do see that people have become a little careless as many of the norms and the rules that are put forth during Covid-19 have been lifted. So, it is now important that we at least follow the basic measures, Chowti says. Satyanarayana Mysore, HOD and Consultant -- Pulmonology, Lung Transplant Physician, Manipal Hospital, Old Airport Road, says, "The BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 are sub-lineage of BA.5 and they don't pose a huge amount of risk at this point in time. We expect the XBB variant isolated largely in Singapore has shown in the lab test, a degree of antibody resistance. The concern is about some parts of the viral genome being linked to the Delta variant." "Currently, a surge of BQ.1 and BA 2.2.3.20 is expected. There is absolutely no panic. There may be reports of drug resistance and antibody resistance but none of them is going to be as bad as Delta. The Covid situation has been tackled adequately well in our country and we are optimistic that this will not give rise to a wave, but maybe a surge! Therefore, appropriate use of masks and Covid-appropriate behaviour will be the key to containing these viral lineages," he says. "RNA viruses, by their nature itself, are known to mutate multiple times and that is the law of nature. Unless and until a concerning clinical behaviour is seen, I do not think that we should not be reacting to mutation," Satyanarayana added. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/cholesterol-drug-linked-to-reduced-death-risk-during-covid/articleshow/95050774.cms">Cholesterol drug linked to reduced death risk during Covid</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/air-quality-remains-very-poor-in-these-indian-cities-after-diwali/slidelist/95075634.cms">Air quality remains very poor in these Indian cities after Diwali</a>

Experts urge people to follow Covid protocol after detecting cases of 'Omicron spawn'

New Delhi, Dec 15 () Leading air purifier makers witnessed up to 60 per cent jump in sales in the peak season, mainly October and November, this year, helped by growing pollution levels and steep rise in air quality index (AQI) in Delhi-NCR and northern region.
 Air purifier makers like Philips, Blueair, Panasonic, Eureka, Forbes, Sharp, Xiomi and Blue Star reported high double-digit jump in sales.
 Besides Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR), the companies also saw higher demand from tier-II cities like Lucknow and Kanpur. 
 The norther region contributes more than half of the sales of air purifiers.
 While Delhi-NCR continued to top sales chart for air purifiers, this year also saw some of the companies reporting higher number of sales from markets like Kerala and North East.
 "This year, the air purifier market in India stood at Rs 450 crore and we have witnessed a strong surge in air purifier penetration, recording a 60 per cent growth over last year till date," Philips Personal Health, Indian Subcontinent Vice-President Gulbahar Taurani said.
 Sharp sold around 15,000 units in the month of October and November this year.
 "Sharp witnessed 27 per cent growth in sales in these two months," Sharp Business Systems India President Consumer Electronics Kishlay Ray said.
 "This year, we have witnessed sales of our air purifier in strange markets where we never thought pollution is an issue. For example, Kerala and North East (which accounted for nearly 3 per cent of our total sales), apart from well-known pollution hotspots like Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata and so on," he added.
 Similarly, Eureka Forbes also reported a 30 per cent growth, its Chief Transformation Officer Shashank Sinha said.
 "The air purifier market was dominated by one market predominantly that is Delhi-NCR, followed by certain non-metros which did fairly well during the peak season," Sinha added.
 While the market for room air purifiers is in a nascent stage, limited to some key metro cities a few years ago, it has now started expanding to smaller cities.
 FMCG major Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL), which operates in air purifier category with its brands Blueair and Pureit, also saw a double- digit growth.
 "We have seen a healthy double-digit growth during the peak season this year. More than 70 per cent of our sales still come from the north region," a HUL spokesperson said.
 "While the category is nascent in smaller towns, we have seen signs of demand picking up in tier II towns in north India," he added.
 With the rise in air pollution, the companies believe that air purifiers are gradually becoming a lifestyle product and are likely to see sales throughout the year by shedding the tag of being a seasonal product.
 According to Xiaomi India Head - Categories and Online Sales Raghu Reddy, "The response to air purifiers has been overwhelming and positive throughout the year owing to the fact that today it has become a necessity for Indian consumers."
 "We have noticed a trend of awareness and acceptance of the poor air quality and environmental issues than before. Today, people are pro-actively taking precautions and improving the quality of indoor air that they are breathing."
 Panasonic India General Manager, Air Purifier Business Syed Moonis Ali Alvi said, "With the rise in pollution levels, backed by the increasing awareness and growing preferences for health and wellness products, air purifiers have become a part of our lifestyle today."
 According to market experts, the segment is growing at around 15 to 20 per cent annually and more than 15 companies are operating in the space.
 However, Blue Star, which witnessed 25 per cent growth in the segment, cautioned about the quality of products being sold in the market and demanded that its standards should be defined and regulated.
 "Air purifiers are sold from Rs 800 to Rs 57,000 in the market. Someone has even put charcoal and is selling it as room air purifier," Blue Star Managing Director B Thiagarajan said.
 "This should be treated as health care product and should be regulated. There should be some certification," he added.
 According to him, some of the makers are simply importing products without understanding the market.
 "In this chaos which is going on, suddenly one week or 10 days after stubble burning, people are buying it," he said, adding that it is very important to assure the people that the air is being purified.
 According to Assocham-TechSci Research report published in February 2019, air purifiers are among the fastest growing products in home appliances space. KRH RVK

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PM2.5 air pollution claimed 54,000 lives in Delhi last year, says study

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India’s national capital used radio waves to battle air quality during the city’s half marathon

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Experts urge people to follow Covid protocol after detecting cases of 'Omicron spawn'

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Air purifier sales see up to 60 pc spike on rising air pollution

PTI

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