Congress Demands Overhaul of National Clean Air Plan, Calls Pollution a ‘National Security Threat’

Summary of this article

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said India’s air pollution crisis has become a “full-blown assault” on citizens’ brains and bodies.

He cited data linking around 2 million deaths in 2023 to air pollution, with sharp rises in heart disease, lung cancer, and dementia cases.

Calling air pollution a “public health catastrophe,” Ramesh demanded a radical update to the National Clean Air Programme and air quality standards.

The Congress called for a radical revision of the National Clean Air Program and an urgent update of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards on Sunday, stating that the air pollution situation in India is no longer merely a respiratory problem but rather a full-fledged assault on our bodies and minds.

Air pollution is a national security threat t