The Central Government has informed Parliament that there is no conclusive national data to show a direct correlation between deaths or diseases and air pollution when considered as the sole cause.
Air pollution is one among several factors that can trigger or worsen respiratory ailments and associated illnesses, with health outcomes depending on a complex interplay of multiple determinants including food habits, occupational environment, socio‑economic background, medical history, immunity, heredity, and other environmental conditions.
Although polluted air can aggravate lung or breathing conditions, isolating it as the exclusive cause of death or disease is not scientifically justified under current data limitations.
To mitigate risks linked to poor air quality, the government has implemented several initiatives. Under the National Programme for Climate Change and Human Health (NPCCHH), authorities have developed Health Adaptation Plans and state‑level Action Plans for all states and union territories, each containing a dedicated focus on air pollution.
Public‑health advisories are issued, nationwide awareness campaigns are organized on occasions such as World Environment Day, International Day of Clean Air, and National Pollution Control Day, and training modules are provided for programme managers, medical officers, nurses, frontline health workers, and occupationally exposed groups such as traffic police and municipal workers.
The government maintains that air pollution is a contributing factor for respiratory illnesses, but under current national evidence, it cannot be conclusively attributed as the singular cause of death or disease.
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