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Delhi children grow up with smaller lungs due to pollution, says study

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9 years ago

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Delhi children grow up with smaller lungs due to pollution, says study

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Children growing up in polluted environments of Delhi have reduced lung growth compared to the children in developed countries like the US, a study published in the Journal of Indian Paediatrics has revealed.

The study was conducted by Prof SK Chhabra, former Director-Professor at Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute and current Head of Department, Pulmonary Medicine, Primus Hospital, New Delhi.

The study shows that while children in both India and the US have nearly the same lung size till the age of about 8 years, when lungs complete their normal physical growth, subsequent growth is progressively different in both nations. Indian children show slower lung growth and reach a final size that is lower than the growth and size found in Caucasian children in the US.  Lung size in both Indian boys and girls is about 10% smaller when they reach adulthood.

The study highlights that air quality and childhood infections adversely affect lung growth besides genetic factors. Smaller lungs translate into poorer exercise capacity and greater vulnerability to respiratory symptoms and diseases. Given the fact that 40 percent of Indian children reside in cities, this is a serious situation.

The state level record, said a release from Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), also exposes the following:

— Since 1990 overall life expectancy has gone up from about average 64 years to 73 years in 2016 in Delhi. But the quality of life shows significant decline as the overall disease burden in the city has increased.

The share of non communicable diseases that are largely affected by the environmental risk factors including air pollution are increasing very rapidly affecting all age groups. Even though the share of communicable diseases has come down, this benefit has been offset by the dramatic increase in non-communicable dieses.

— Diseases that are worst affected by air pollution including cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases (COPD), and cancers have shown dramatic increase since 1990. In 1990 COPD was ranked 13 among leading causes of illness and lost life years. But this has now shot up to rank 3. Similarly, Ischemic heart disease that greatly influenced by air pollution has gone up from rank 5 to number 1; and diabetes from rank 22 to rank 5 and stroke from rank 16 to rank 15.

—  Making mockery of the population dividend, the younger age group in the city (40-69 years age), more than 60 per cent of them, are affected in varying proportion by chronic respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, and cancers.  This age group contributes 41 per cent of total deaths in the city.

— Ischemic heart disease and lower respiratory infections are the top two leading causes of deaths among female and males. In fact the GBD has already established that in India more than 50 per cent of the premature deaths that is triggered by air pollution are from ischemic heart disease.

“If this does not wake us up to the health emergency, what will? Those who are in denial of environmental pollution-related deaths and illness in India should understand that the scary death tally and illness of Indians and children makes a mockery of India’s growth story,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, Executive Director, Research and Advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment.

“India will have to do drastically a lot more to reduce pollution exposure and not less of it. It will be criminal not to act on the mounting health evidences and ask for more evidences from our own children, elderly and vulnerable. Indian lung is not different from others.”

Air pollution takes six million lives each year worldwide, and India tops the list where 1.9 million premature deaths occur due to outdoor and indoor air pollution, says the Report of the Lancet Commission on Health and Pollution.

The release issued by the CSE noted that leading medical and public health experts came together on Tuesday under the aegis of the Indian Council of Medical Research, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, to release the first-ever systematic assessment of burden of disease at both the national and State-level in India. The report notes the progress in increasing life expectancy across the country and in all States, although improvements vary substantially across States. However, the report warns that air pollution remains the second most important risk factor nationally.

The CSE release also noted that the Report of the Lancet Commission on Health and Pollution has looked at the full range of environmental health risks reporting, based on the systematic Global Burden of Disease estimate. This shows some 9 million deaths occur each year worldwide due to air water and chemical exposures. Air pollution is at the top of the list, with outdoor and indoor air pollution contributing the lion’s share, some 6 million deaths. India remains one of the worst affected where 1.9 million premature deaths occur due to outdoor and indoor air pollution.

The group noted that the evidence makes it clear that comprehensive and long-term strategies for reducing air pollution are critical to protect public health. At the same time, they note that this is likely an underestimate and that there are many exposures for which data is not yet strong enough to quantify the effects.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Raghav Chadha marked as shifted in Punjab draft voter rolls, alleges AAP vendetta

Raghav Chadha has alleged political vendetta after his name was marked “shifted” in Punjab’s draft electoral rolls during the SIR exercise.

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5 hours ago

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September 3, 2026

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Raghav Chadha

BJP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha has raised questions after his name was marked as “shifted” in Punjab’s draft electoral rolls prepared during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists.

Chadha, who remains a Rajya Sabha member from Punjab and has his voter registration in Mohali, alleged that the classification was not a routine clerical error and accused the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab government of political vendetta.

The electoral rolls currently under discussion are draft lists, with the final rolls scheduled to be published in October 2026.

Raghav Chadha questions voter list classification

Chadha said he was surprised to find his name classified as “shifted” despite being a sitting MP from Punjab.

He questioned how such a classification was made and pointed to the involvement of officials at different stages of the electoral roll revision process. According to Chadha, Booth Level Officers, Assistant Electoral Registration Officers, Electoral Registration Officers and District Election Officers are part of the process.

He alleged that these officials could potentially face political pressure because their transfers and postings are controlled by the state government.

Chadha also referred to Paragraph 4(d) of the Election Commission of India’s SIR guidelines. He said the provision requires public representatives, including MPs and MLAs, whose names are flagged in the electoral database to be included in the draft rolls so that they can participate in the claims and objections process.

He alleged that this provision was not followed in his case.

Punjab CEO seeks report on Chadha’s voter status

Punjab Chief Electoral Officer Anindita Mitra told that she was not aware of any deletion of Chadha’s name from the electoral rolls.

She said a detailed report would be sought from the district election authorities to determine whether his name had actually been deleted and, if so, the reason for the action.

Mitra also pointed out that the claims and objections process is currently underway. September 13 is the deadline for filing appeals over changes or discrepancies in the electoral rolls.

AAP rejects political vendetta allegation

The controversy has also drawn a response from the Aam Aadmi Party.

AAP leader Neel Garg rejected Chadha’s allegation, saying the party had no interest in deleting the vote of any individual. He instead alleged that the issue was being raised by the BJP and referred to the SIR exercises in Bihar and West Bengal.

Chadha joined the BJP in April 2026 along with six other AAP Rajya Sabha MPs.

The dispute comes as Punjab’s electoral rolls undergo revision ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. Since the claims and objections process is still open, the status of Chadha’s name is subject to the ongoing electoral process.

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SBI defends 7.8% GDP growth, explains controversy over revised data

SBI has defended India’s 7.8% GDP growth for April-June 2026-27, saying comparisons with unrevised figures from the old GDP series are incorrect.

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5 hours ago

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September 3, 2026

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State Bank of India researchers have pushed back against questions surrounding India’s latest GDP growth figures, arguing that comparisons based on figures from the old GDP series have created an incorrect picture of economic growth.

India recorded 7.8% GDP growth in the April-June quarter of 2026-27, according to the latest data released on August 31. The figure has prompted debate over the impact of the change in the GDP base year and the subsequent revision of earlier figures.

SBI explains the GDP data revision

Soumya Kanti Ghosh, Group Chief Economic Adviser at SBI and a member of the 16th Finance Commission, said the latest figures need to be assessed using the revised GDP series.

According to Ghosh, the National Statistical Office had used 2011-12 as the GDP base year when it released figures for the April-June quarter of 2025-26 last year. At that time, nominal GDP for the quarter was reported at around Rs 86.1 lakh crore.

Following the introduction of the new GDP series with 2022-23 as the base year, the corresponding figure for the previous year was revised to around Rs 80.4 lakh crore.

The latest nominal GDP for the April-June quarter of 2026-27 stands at Rs 88.3 lakh crore, which forms the basis for the reported 7.8% growth rate.

SBI economist rejects 2.6% growth interpretation

Ghosh said some estimates had arrived at a growth rate of around 2.6% by comparing the latest nominal GDP figure of Rs 88.3 lakh crore with the earlier, unrevised figure of Rs 86.1 lakh crore.

He described this comparison as inappropriate and said the latest figure should instead be compared with the revised figure for the corresponding quarter under the new GDP series.

SBI’s research also argued that GDP revisions are a normal part of the statistical process and are made to incorporate newer information and factors into the estimates.

GDP revisions can move in both directions

Ghosh said revisions to GDP data are not necessarily downward. According to him, historical quarterly data show that revisions can occur in both upward and downward directions, although they have mostly been upward.

He also cited an earlier revision in which GDP growth under the old series was initially estimated at 9.2% before being revised to 7.2%.

Ghosh said GDP figures should be examined carefully and rigorously rather than being rejected simply because the revised numbers differ from earlier estimates.

The SBI research comes amid questions raised by former Reserve Bank of India governor Raghuram Rajan, former finance secretary Subhash Chandra Garg and some Congress leaders over the latest GDP numbers.

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Akhilesh Yadav takes dig at BJP over Ram Temple Trust appointments

Akhilesh Yadav criticised the Ram Temple Trust’s recent appointments, alleging BJP influence and questioning the handling of the donation theft case.

Published

17 hours ago

on

September 2, 2026

By

Akhilesh Yadav

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has criticised the recent restructuring of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, alleging that the Bharatiya Janata Party is effectively deciding the appointments made to the body.

His remarks came after the Trust appointed three new members and named retired Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra as its first Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Mishra, who previously headed the Indian Air Force’s Western Air Command during Operation Sindoor, is expected to oversee the temple’s management and financial affairs.

Yadav questioned the process of selecting the new officials, saying that while the appointments may be presented as impartial, the BJP was behind the selections.

He also raised questions about the clean chit given to Trust general secretary Champat Rai in the donation theft case. Yadav asked why those who worked under officials who received a clean chit were not similarly cleared.

Ram Temple Trust appoints three new members

The Trust has inducted Madan Mohan Pandey from Ayodhya, Mahesh Bhagchandka from Delhi and Nirmala Yadav from Shikohabad as new members.

The changes followed the arrest of several people in connection with the alleged theft of donations and the resignation of some Trust officials.

Eight people linked to the donation theft have been arrested, with some reportedly caught on camera during the alleged acts. Champat Rai’s driver was among those arrested. Rai later received a clean chit from the Special Investigation Team probing the case.

Opposition questions CEO appointment

Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee chief Ajay Rai also criticised the decision to appoint a CEO. He said there was no need for such a position and argued that a religious scholar should instead be appointed, with the selection made by religious leaders, Shankaracharyas, saints and seers.

The latest appointments and administrative changes have therefore triggered renewed political debate over the management of the Ram Temple Trust and the handling of its finances.

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