Government Accused of Hiding Air Pollution Death Toll in Parliament

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Congress leader Randeep Surjewala has accused the government of deliberately withholding information in Parliament about the number of deaths caused by air pollution in India. In a post on X, Surjewala criticized the government's response to his question in the Rajya Sabha, where Minister of State Kirti Vardhan Singh claimed there was no conclusive data linking air pollution to fatalities. However, Surjewala pointed out that the Health Ministry's advisory, backed by data from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), states that 1.7 million Indians die from air pollution every year. He also highlighted that the government's own advisory warns states to prepare for the rising death toll and set up emergency arrangements in hospitals. The Congress leader alleged that the government is hiding the truth by not mentioning air pollution on death certificates, instead listing causes such as heart attacks, strokes, and lung disease. He emphasized that this is not a lack of data, but a deliberate denial of the reality. The issue of air pollution has been a major concern in India, particularly in the national capital, where the Air Quality Index (AQI) has crossed 500 in recent days. The government has imposed severe restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) IV in Delhi and surrounding areas. Surjewala's post has sparked a debate on the need for accurate data and accountability in addressing the issue of air pollution, which is considered the single largest environmental health threat globally. The Congress leader has called for clean air, honest data, and an accountable government to tackle this pressing issue.