Dr Bagai noted severe health outcomes, including stillbirths, congenital heart defects, childhood leukemia, stunting, and increased cancer risks. He stressed that preconception exposure for prospective parents alters genetic material, impacting future generations.
Calling for urgent policy measures, Dr Bagai asserted: 'We need a separate ministry to combat air pollution.' He demanded an iron-fisted five-year implementation plan led by doctors, scientists, and environmentalists to eliminate road dust, establish no-traffic zones, regulate construction, and improve public transit.