Shashi Tharoor's Urgent Call to Combat India's Air Pollution Crisis

Shashi Tharoor, Member of Parliament from Thiruvananthapuram, has spotlighted the significant health and environmental challenges posed by air pollution in India. Addressing a high-level roundtable on Clean Air and Public Health at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi, Tharoor stressed the universal impact of pollution, which 'transcends economic, social, and political divides.'

Tharoor's roundtable, organized with the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) and AirQualityAsia (AQA), marked the seventh iteration since 2017. Bringing together India's premier air quality researchers, policymakers, health professionals, and civil society members, the event aimed to explore comprehensive solutions for air pollution affecting urban and rural regions alike. Minister of State Inderjit Singh underlined the urgency of clean air as a national priority, reflecting on discussions that could propel government initiatives like the National Clean Air Programme.

Further discussions underscored the economic advantages of clean air, with insights shared by Arunabha Ghosh, CEEW's CEO, who pointed out that clean air enhances worker productivity and attracts investment. Soumya Swaminathan highlighted pollution's broad-reaching health implications, calling for inter-ministerial responsibility and viewing clean air as an investment in public health. Participants from various sectors reinforced the need for unified, data-driven strategies to address air quality across India.

(With inputs from agencies.)