Pollution in New Delhi in November reached crisis levels, with crop burning, car exhaust, dust and coal plants blamed for the record smog. The government shuttered schools and temporarily closed a coal-fired power plant as a stop gap, but experts say the energy-hungry nation will need to do more if it’s to clean the air for India’s 1.25 billion people. India’s problem is that it is --- and will remain for years to come --- a coal-based economy. This is because coal is cheap and also that renewables are not going to be expanding fast enough for the country to reverse the problem. India, however, should have expected this kind of a report, since, for a couple of years, satellite data has been showing that the average particulate matter exposure was going up in the country. As pollution travels hundreds of kilometers, experts have called for national, regional and city-level action plans with measurable targets to lower pollution levels.

But for any countrywide plan, the first thing that would be needed is to acknowledge the link that exists between air pollution and health of citizens. However, that is somehow missing. In December, environment minister Anil Madhav Dave told Rajya Sabha that there is no “credible” study to quantify the number of deaths caused directly as a result of air pollution. “Lung and allied diseases are affected by a number of factors such as smoking, hereditary factors, lifestyle, occupation, socio-economic status, immunity levels, medical history etc. besides air pollution,” he added. The new report is fresh evidence for the minister to finally accept that pollution is a giant killer and we are losing the battle with every passing day.