The Congress party has strongly criticized the government after a global air quality report ranked India as the fifth most polluted country. Citing ineffective pollution control measures they demand the rollback of amendments to environmental laws and call for increased funding and legal support for the National Clean Air Program.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh pointed to the Swiss firm IQAir’s 2024 report, which found India’s air pollution levels to be ten times the WHO’s safety limit. He accused the government of failing to tackle rising pollution and ignoring previous warnings.
The party has urged immediate reforms, focusing on stricter enforcement of emission norms for coal power plants, better control of industrial and vehicular pollution, and restoring the independence of the National Green Tribunal. They insist that pollution must be treated as a national crisis requiring urgent intervention.
