India leads world in pollution linked deaths: study

Heavy air pollution is pictured around Rashtrapati Bhavan and government buildings in New Delhi. New Delhi banned the use of diesel generators on October 15 as pollution levels in the Indian capital exceeded safe limits by more than four times. - AFP

NEW DELHI: India leads the world in pollution-linked deaths followed by China and Nigeria, according to a report published that estimated the global impact of contaminants in the air, water and workplace.

The report by the Global Alliance on Health and Pollution (GAHP) found pollution to be the largest environmental cause of premature death on the planet, causing 15 percent of all deaths -- some 8.3 million people.