Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday raised concerns over India’s worsening air pollution levels, citing global studies and a new analysis of air quality data to highlight what he called a growing environmental and public health crisis driven by PM2.5 pollution. The 2025 Lancet Countdown estimates that about 17.2 lakh Indians die every year from exposure to PM2.5, a 38% increase since 2010." Meanwhile, The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the Health Ministry's own research body, has endorsed the Lancet findings, attributing 12.4 lakh deaths in 2017 to air pollution, that is 12.5% of all deaths that year." Citing new research by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), Ramesh said recent air quality data paints a worrying picture. Calling for policy changes, the Congress leader said, “The National Ambient Air Quality Standards, 2009 need urgent review and upgradation.

Source: The Telegraph March 08, 2026 06:38 UTC