A recent study published in The Lancet has revealed a staggering toll of 2.5 million deaths in India between 2000 and 2019 due to air pollution caused by landscape fires, including forest fires and crop stubble burning. The study underscores the severe human cost of such fires, which generate pollutants like PM2.5 and ozone, known to significantly impact respiratory and cardiovascular health.
The report highlights that landscape fires, characterized by their intensity and scale, affect not just local areas but also populations hundreds of kilometers away due to the widespread dispersal of pollutants. For instance, summer wildfires in Uttarakhand and Odisha have been linked to rising pollution in adjacent districts, while the annual stubble burning in Punjab exacerbates air quality issues in Delhi during winter. This phenomenon is compounded by other pollution sources such as vehicular emissions and construction dust, posing significant risks to a population already grappling with a rising burden of non-communicable diseases.
Experts argue that these fires are largely preventable with appropriate interventions. Recommendations such as improved community engagement and state-led forest fire management, alongside solutions like waste-to-energy initiatives and mechanized crop stubble disposal, remain underutilized. Despite this, inaction and a lack of coordination among administrations persist, with measures like the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) for Delhi proving insufficient to tackle the scale of the problem.
As reported by Hindustan Times, the situation is further aggravated by the climate crisis, which intensifies local factors that increase the likelihood of fires. Without robust control measures and proactive strategies, the death toll from air pollution linked to these fires is expected to rise, presenting an urgent call for action.