Nearly 120,000 people die in India every year due to electric power plants

The dizzying pace of industrialization in India has led to public health crisis. Every year, 80-120 thousand premature deaths caused by air pollution are registered in the country. In addition, as many as 20 million new cases of asthma are reported. 

According to the report about the effects of smog on human health (the report was prepared with the assistance of the World Bank), air pollution costs the Indian health system 3.3-4.6 billion dollars a year. Delhi, Calcutta, Mumbai, western Maharashtra, east of Andhra Pradesh and the district of Chandrapur-Nagpur in the state of Vidarbha are recognized as the dirtiest regions of the country, says the Guardian. One hundred and eleven large power plants are primarily responsible for the air pollution. The management of the plants do not take measures to regulate emissions.

"Hundreds of thousands of lives could be saved. It could also be possible to avoid millions of asthma attacks, heart attacks, hospitalizations, lost working days and related costs, if environmentally friendly fuel were used and if strict standards on emission were in effect. There are not enough measures to reduce emissions, and there are virtually no standards," the authors of the report wrote.

To date, about 400 million Indians live without electricity.  Power outages remain a common problem for the country. Due to the construction of new power plants, tens of thousands of homes were moved to different locations. Electricity is mainly supplied to major cities, and residents of small settlements are left alone with toxic dumps and dirty air.