Every time Mithilesh turns on her stove to cook, her eyes begin to burn, BBC reported. Smoke quickly fills up the small home in the slums of the Indian capital Delhi, making it hard for anyone to see. The 29-year-old often experiences uncontrolled bouts of coughing.
But even when she steps outside her home, there is little respite. Delhi has some of the worst outdoor air quality in the world. Although the authorities have put in considerable efforts to improve air quality, levels of multiple pollutants regularly exceed optimal limits.
It Is Often The Poorest That Suffer The Most
Mithilesh is an extreme example of something happening globally. Although almost everyone now takes in air that is polluted in some way, those who are worst hit are also the least able to protect themselves – representing a classic example of environmental inequality.
In an effort to reduce her own exposure, the housewife has started using a stove fueled by Liquified Petroleum Gas. But it isn’t a cheap option as a typical household LPG cylinder can cost around 900 Indian rupees ($11), out of reach of several households.
The problem is growing particularly in the rapidly developing nations of South Asia and Southeast Asia. But it is often the poorest that suffer the most. It is estimated that 716 million of the planet’s lowest-income people live in areas with unsafe levels of air pollution.
Modern Forms Of Air Pollution Becoming More Dangerous
There are still 2.4 billion people across the globe who use inefficient fuels, such as kerosene, wood, dung, charcoal and coal, to prepare food. But increasing awareness and supporting the switch to cleaner ways of cooking can make a big difference.
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Deaths due to indoor air pollution have been in decline over the past 20 years. But a far more widespread problem has risen in its place, with modern forms of air pollution, caused by the burning of fossil fuels and industrialisation, claiming a growing number of lives.
