Impact of Road Transport Pollution on Public Health in India

Severe Health Consequences of Road Transport Pollution

New Delhi, July 29 - Pollution from road transport in India is significantly burdening public health. A recent report indicates that in 2024, a person is expected to die prematurely every six minutes due to this pollution, while a new case of asthma in children will emerge every 34 minutes.

The report highlights that the National Capital Region (NCR) and Delhi are disproportionately affected. Despite comprising only about five percent of the country's population, the NCR accounts for 23 percent of all asthma cases related to road transport among children. This report, titled ‘Health Benefits of Zero-Emission Transport Through 2050,’ was released by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) on Wednesday.

Lingzhi Jin, a senior researcher at ICCT and co-author of the study, stated, “The burden is highly uneven. Nearly a quarter of asthma cases in children linked to road transport in India are found in the NCR. These children are exposed to traffic-related pollution during their daily activities.” The analysis also emphasizes the significant role of heavy vehicles in emissions from India's transport sector.

According to the report, although trucks and buses represent a smaller fraction of total vehicles, they are disproportionately responsible for air pollution. In 2024, heavy vehicles contributed to 79 percent of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions and 64 percent of PM2.5 emissions from road transport in India. To address this issue, there is an urgent need to adopt low-emission and zero-emission vehicles and to phase out older, more polluting vehicles through regulatory measures.

The analysis suggests that implementing these measures could prevent 1.7 million premature deaths in India by 2050. Lingzhi Jin remarked, “Accelerating the transition to zero-emission vehicles in these highly polluted areas is one of the most direct ways to protect public health.”