Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said people across the country were paying a heavy price for air pollution with their health and the economy, with children and the elderly bearing the brunt of the crisis.
In a post on X, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha urged citizens to speak up against air pollution and invited them to share how it has affected their lives and livelihoods.
“We are paying a heavy price for air pollution, with our health and with our economy. Crores of ordinary Indians bear this burden every day,” Gandhi wrote.
He said the impact of polluted air was disproportionately felt by the most vulnerable. “Children and the elderly suffer the most. Livelihoods, especially of construction workers and daily wage earners, are severely impacted,” he added.
Warning against treating air pollution as a seasonal issue, Gandhi said the crisis could not be ignored until the onset of winter. “The first step towards change is to raise our voices,” he wrote.
The Congress leader called on people to share their experiences of air pollution and its effects on their families. “Share your story of how air pollution has affected you or your loved ones,” he said, directing citizens to submit their views through a public outreach platform.
“Your voice matters, and it is my duty to raise it,” Gandhi added.
Gandhi has repeatedly highlighted air pollution as a public health emergency. During the Winter Session of Parliament, he had sought a discussion on the issue, stressing the need for sustained policy intervention rather than temporary measures during peak pollution months.
Air quality in several parts of the country routinely deteriorates to hazardous levels during winter, raising concerns among health experts over long-term respiratory, cardiac and developmental impacts, particularly among children and senior citizens.
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Air Pollution linked to millions of deaths in India
Air pollution is a serious public health crisis in India. A major study conducted by Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), based on global and regional data estimates that long-term exposure to polluted air contributes to a very high number of premature deaths every year. Research analysing trends in fossil fuel and ambient fine particulate matter suggests that over 1.7 million (about 17 lakh) deaths in India annually are linked to air pollution, especially from sources such as vehicular emissions, industry and household fuels, marking a significant burden on national health.
The situation in the national capital is particularly alarming. Delhi has been identified as one of the world’s most polluted capitals, with recent analyses showing that around 17,188 deaths in 2023, roughly 15 per cent of all fatalities, were associated with long-term exposure to particulate pollution. This means about one in every seven deaths in the city last year could be traced to toxic air quality, making air pollution the leading health risk there.
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