But it is a problem that can still be addressed if the right kind of sustained campaign, one that focuses on practical long-term and short-term interventions to address the issue, is realised. Take for example China's action on air quality in 2013 — at the peak of toxicity in its air and with public scrutiny mounting in the wake of the Beijing Olympics, China formulated the National Air Pollution Action Plan, which imposed stringent controls on emissions and strict guidelines for air quality checks. China’s air quality strategy since, albeit, still in an incipient stage, has shown promising potential — and a valuable lesson, that the fight for improved air quality is not a lost cause.

At the same time, India must recognise that it is not China. We are after all, a democracy, where even the smallest voice matters, and where the means is just as important as the end — there is an underlying commitment, that we take everyone along in our journey.

India has officially shown considerable commitment and willingness to address these issues in the past — as the new National Clean Air Programme demonstrates, as well as on the world stage, with the Copenhagen Agreement and more recently, the Paris Agreement.