By Admin 
Has Air Pollution become a bigger threat to the Indian economy than tariffs and global trade tensions? This issue is no longer limited to just the environment, but is directly linked to India’s economy and growth. At the World Economic Forum, Davos, Harvard University professor and former IMF chief economist Geeta Gopinath gave a serious warning on this. He said that there is more focus on trade and global policies, while the economic impact of pollution is ignored. Air pollution reduces productivity, increases healthcare spending and puts pressure on overall economic activity. Poor air quality increases diseases and results in loss of working days. According to the World Bank, about 17 lakh deaths occur every year in India due to pollution, which is about 18% of the total deaths. According to Greenpeace Southeast Asia, India loses about ₹ 10.7 lakh crore annually due to air pollution, i.e. 5.4% of GDP.