Is it sympathy with a hidden motive?

An article in the Lancet asserts that India suffered the highest number of pollution related deaths, at a total of 2.51 million, in the world, in 2015. Of this 1.81 million died of air pollution and 0.64 million died of water pollution. China had the second highest number. With populations in excess of 1.3 billion people each it is only natural that total mortality rates will be highest in these 2 countries, but there is a huge outcry in India, partly because we have extreme respect for foreign journals, especially from western countries, and partly because it provides opportunities for some people to pontificate on various news channels. Apparently air pollution is worst in poor countries, related to the levels of particulate matter in air. True, but why is the rate of bronchial asthma rising worldwide. The World Health Organization estimates that 100-150 million people in the world suffer from asthma and about 180,000 die from the disease every year. There are 4 million asthma sufferers in Germany, 8% of Swiss population suffer from the disease, and 5,000 Americans die of it every year. But, surely pollution is caused by human beings through using fossil fuels in cars and producing electricity, while asthma is just bad luck? One big element of asthma is allergy to plants, and humans plant trees and grow gardens. Delhi is reputed to be the most polluted city in the world but Delhi is surprisingly green, virtually every road being an avenue, with trees growing on both sides. Surely, even the most strident critics will not recommend cutting all trees to reduce the rate of asthma? The government has announced a Graded Response Action Plan, or GRAP, which is a list of actions to be taken as pollution level rises, especially during winter months when fog traps smoke and fumes, raising air pollution to danger levels. It proposes shutting down an electricity producing plant on the outskirts of Delhi and heavy fines for anyone using diesel generators. All hospitals, hotels, shopping malls and high rise buildings have back-up generators in case of power cut. Why power cuts in the capital city? Because bills for those who use up to 400 units of electricity per month are reduced by half, so providers refuse to buy electricity when spot rates are high. Shutting down the power plant may make it worse. As for stopping construction activities, stone crushing and brick kilns, poor people, dependent on daily wages, will suffer. The same people who are screaming about pollution will scream about suffering of the poor. As for cars, India had 18 cars per 1000 people in 2014, compared to 797 in the US. Oceans are dying because of increasing acidity caused by excessive carbon dioxide. So, is the Lancet study an effort to transfer responsibility for climate change on poor countries while the rich ones continue to pollute? Cynical.