Reader TTS

Mr Minister, can we reject the hovering PM2.5 and other pollutants so easily? We can, for sure, but our bodies may not listen. Understandably, air pollution has become uncomfortable news for

our government which is under immense pressure to act tough on the issue. But shouldn’t we be mature enough to accept the scientific findings as such and question any study in a more

scientific manner. We can question any study, but cannot reject it just because it arrives at a conclusion based on pollution dose-response factors found in western countries. Needless to

say, our lungs, bodies and the impact of air pollutants on them will act in similar way, irrespective of whether a person is in India or elsewhere. So, even extrapolation based on sound

judgment will show more or less a similar impact. This is the reason World Health Organization issues global guidelines or safe levels of key pollutants, and they are not country-specific.