New Delhi, Dec 15 (PTI) — The Congress on Monday asserted that India cannot afford to pollute its way to prosperity, stressing that rising pollution must not become the price citizens are forced to pay for faster economic growth.
In a statement, Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said clean-air action in India cannot remain centred on Graded Response Action Plans (GRAPs), describing them as largely reactive and focused on crisis management rather than crisis prevention.
“We need tough, multi-sectoral action with scale and speed round the year, not just during the winter months,” Ramesh said, adding that pollution control efforts should be continuous and comprehensive.
Referring to a statement made by the Modi government in the Rajya Sabha on December 9, 2025, that there is no conclusive data linking air pollution exclusively to deaths or disease, Ramesh accused the government of “shocking insensitivity”. He said this was the second such denial, the first having been made in July 2024.
Citing scientific studies, Ramesh said a July 2024 Lancet report showed that 7.2 per cent of all deaths in India are associated with air pollution, amounting to about 34,000 deaths annually in just 10 cities. He also referred to an August 2024 study by the International Institute of Population Sciences which found a 13 per cent rise in premature adult mortality and nearly a 100 per cent increase in child mortality in districts exceeding national air quality standards.
According to another study published in The Lancet Planetary Health in December 2024, long-term exposure to polluted air contributes to an estimated 15 lakh additional deaths annually in India, compared to scenarios meeting World Health Organization safety limits. A November 2025 report by the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation estimated that around two million deaths in India were linked to air pollution, a 43 per cent rise since 2000.
Ramesh said the National Ambient Air Quality Standards, last updated in 2009, are outdated and poorly enforced, with current PM2.5 limits far exceeding WHO guidelines. Despite the launch of the National Clean Air Programme in 2017, pollution levels have continued to rise, he added, calling for a complete overhaul of the programme.
He also said laws such as the Air Pollution (Control and Prevention) Act, 1981 may need to be revisited, and claimed that the National Green Tribunal has been weakened over the past decade. Emission norm relaxations for power plants and other sectors should be rolled back, he added.
“India simply cannot afford to pollute its way to prosperity,” Ramesh reiterated.
Meanwhile, Delhi remained engulfed in dense smog on Monday, with the Air Quality Index touching 498, placing it in the ‘severe’ category.
Disclaimer: This article is based entirely on a news feed provided by PTI.
By -Charu