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India had more people dying every day as a result of outdoor air pollution in 2015 than China – a first since 1990. The Hindu reports.

According to a Greenpeace India report released on Wednesday, India overtook China in the number of deaths caused by air pollution last year. The report found that in 2015 India had 1640 premature deaths due to ambient air pollution every day, as opposed to China’s 1620 per day.

"After toxic levels of particulate matter between 2005 and 2011, China implemented some harsh measures to curb air pollution. While, on the other hand, India’s pollution levels have been increasing every year, making 2015 the worst," Sunil Dahiya, a campaigner with Greenpeace India, noted.

"It clearly indicates that China’s strong measures to tackle pollution have contributed to the year-on- year air quality improvement on record, while in contrast, India’s pollution levels have increased over the past decade,” he said adding that the authorities in India must take immediate steps to halt this upward trend.