New Delhi, Oct. 26 -- Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday raised concern about India's air quality crisis and termed the pollution a "full-blown assault on our brains and bodies", highlighting alarming statistics that reveal its devastating impact on public health.

In a post on X, Ramesh said, "India's air pollution crisis is no longer just a respiratory issue. It's now a full-blown assault on our brains and bodies. In 2023, approx. 2 million deaths in India were linked to air pollution--a 43 per cent jump since 2000. Nearly 9 in 10 of these deaths were attributed to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart disease, lung cancer, diabetes and now even dementia."

He added, "India records around 186 air-pollution deaths pe...