Wage a war on Air and Water Pollution :Prof. PB Sharma, President of Association of Indian Universities.
The day after Diwali this year, when Delhi once again hit 999 microgram per cubic meter on air quality index (AQI) for its PM 2.5 , there was a great concern voiced by press and media but, as always, no emergent measures, public advisory or immediate actions were rolled out to mitigate the disastrous levels of air pollution in the world's largest democracy, India, in its national capital Delhi and the NCR Region. Life and business as usual continued. Recent Lancet study, published in local and world leading news papers, reported that as many as 9 million or more people each year are dying in the world due to pollution. In India alone this figure could be over 2.5 million (25 lacs) deaths per year, the study reveals. But did it set out a panic or creates a sense of urgency in the minds of those in government and in the corporate and citizens at large. The answer is no. Last year also when AQI touched 999 in Delhi, eye brows were raised but no...