Indian authorities want to use an index to measure high air pollution in the country's cities in the future, but they have not yet taken concrete steps to reduce particulate pollution. Air pollution will initially be measured in ten cities, including the capital New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi explained at a local environmental conference. According to a study by the World Health Organization (WHO), New Delhi has the dirtiest air in the world.

According to studies by various institutes, at least 3,000 people in this city of 1.2 billion die prematurely each year because they develop cancer or other lung or vascular diseases due to fine dust pollution. The new index is actually expected to be available on a government website starting Monday; the coloured scale ranges from good air quality to severe pollution. However, access to the site was initially blocked – due to the high number of visits, as government officials suspected.

Environmentalists and health activists accuse the government of measuring the problem but doing nothing about it. “It's like giving a thermometer to a sick person instead of treating them,” environmentalist Vandana Shiva said at the conference in New Delhi. While Greenpeace welcomed the introduction of the index, it also called for an action plan to reduce pollution.

Prime Minister Modi has been vague on the matter. His suggestions include generally declaring Sundays as “bike day” or not turning on street lights during the full moon. “It’s just a small thing, but can you imagine how much energy and emissions this could save?” he said at the conference.