In a published paper by the World Bank Group, Maharashtra has ranked third in the list of most populated sub-national regions internationally. Maharashtra's 97.6 per cent population is exposed to hazardous or unsafe levels of air pollution. This is specifically PM2.5 aerosols, an account by HT cited.
Based on the narrative, the paper -- ‘Air Pollution and Poverty: PM2.5 Exposure in 211 Countries and Territories’, made use of remote sensing data for aerosol concentration, and population numbers. They did so from the WorldPop Global High-Resolution Population data set (WPGP) and a chemical transport model to understand the movement of PM2.5 pollutants.
According to the narrative, the results were in line with the assumptions the experts held that considering the size and economy of the state, has been one of the most adversely impacted owing to air pollution.
The narrative suggests that the state has been allotted an aggregate corpus of INR 2,981 crore. This transpired at the suggestion of the 15th Finance Commission to address air pollution. The funds are to be used by the end of the financial year 2026, the report remarked.
On the other hand, the University of Chicago’s Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) report, stated that the air pollution in India has geographically grown over time and has reached such a level that in states like Maharashtra, an average person could additionally lose 2.5 to 2.9 years of life expectancy.
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