Air quality a nationwide crisis, government response exceedingly ineffective: Congress

The Congress has criticized the government's response to air pollution, demanding a thorough reform of the National Clear Air Programme (NCAP). General Secretary Jairam Ramesh stated that the NCAP is ineffective and inadequate, citing a report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) which found that nearly 44% of Indian cities have chronic air pollution. Ramesh urged the government to increase funding for the NCAP, expand its scope to cover more polluted cities, and enforce stricter emission standards for coal power plants. He also called for a revamp of existing environmental laws and regulations to address the crisis effectively.