In photos: India’s environmental woes that we could care more about

In India, the only time most citizens express concerns over the environment is the day after Diwali, when it becomes difficult to breathe or step out of the house. That’s probably the time when an average Indian would exclaim: “Oh my god, what happened to the environment!”

However, there are more pressing environmental issues that the country faces that many have no clue about. From a depleting ground water table and melting glaciers to receding forest cover and intense heat waves, India is on an ecological time bomb.

On World Environment Day, here is a collection of photographs from across the country that highlight its most urgent environmental problems.