By Mubasshir Mushtaq
NEW DELHI
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched new measures to monitor air pollution in the country.
The national air quality index was introduced after a series of reports by English-language daily Indian Express highlighted dangerous levels of pollution in the national capital, Delhi.
The index will inform people about levels of air pollution in real time and will be functional in 10 Indian cities.
“India has had a long tradition of living in harmony with nature and we should lead the global fight against climate change,” Modi said on Monday, at a conference of state environment and forest ministers.
Modi also used his speech to criticize developed countries for not assisting in reducing pollution.
“People who lecture us on environment protection refuse to give us nuclear fuel for clean energy,” he said, without naming any countries.
Modi said his government is focusing on clean energy generation through solar, wind and biomass.
Modi lamented that India’s culture of respecting and loving nature has not been appropriately projected globally. He said India is occasionally perceived as a "barrier" in the global fight against climate change.
Modi claimed India's per-capita carbon emissions have been among the lowest globally.
He also said restrictions will not be enough to curb climate change.
“Until we actually bring a change in our lifestyles, all the other efforts will go in vain,” Modi said.
