India is once again on the headlines due to its toxic air and exceptionally high rates of respiratory diseases and
other health threats associated with it. 22 out of the worlds’ 30 cities with the worst air quality are in India. West Bengal, located in the eastern part of India, is faced with complex meteorological and anthropogenic factors, which for decades have degraded the quality of air in the State. A recent Lancet study has revealed that West Bengal has seen about 11 times more deaths from air pollution in 2019 as compared to COVID-19 related deaths in 2020. The toll on our lives, economies and businesses posed by air pollution has been enormous yet little attention is paid to mitigate poor air quality.
SwitchON Foundation conducted a perception based survey on health impacts caused due to air pollution in February-March 2021. A total of 914 responses were collected from slum settlements in the city of Kolkata from all age groups with a strong focus on children belonging to the age groups of less than 10 years. Some of the findings state :
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