Asserting that India simply cannot afford to pollute its way to prosperity, the Congress on Monday said increased pollution need not and must not be the price the people are compelled to pay for faster growth.

The opposition party also stressed that the Graded Response Action Plans (GRAPs) cannot remain the dominant focus of clean-air action.

In a statement, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said these plans are essentially reactive, with the emphasis being on crisis management and not crisis avoidance.

“We need tough multi-sectoral actions with scale and speed round the year and not just in the winter October-December months,” Ramesh said.