India faces twin crises: curbing air pollution’s deadly toll and driving systemic reforms to slash exposure and health risks. As courts press harder and science sounds alarms, clean air is poised to dominate health and environmental policy.
A landmark study and a sweeping legal move have thrust India’s air-quality crisis into the spotlight, urging policymakers and courts alike to treat polluted air not just as an environmental issue but a full-blown public health emergency.
According to research published in the Nature journal’s npj Clean Air, modelling of air‐pollution scenarios across states shows that ambient fine particulate matter (PM₂.₅) exposure under current “business-as-usual” pathways will drive substantial premature mortality and economic losses, with some states projected to see exposure levels grow by 2025.
Meanwhile, a legal petition was filed in the Supreme Court of India on 6 November 2025, calling for a declaration of a national public health emergency over rising air pollution and demanding immediate action.
In parallel, a new analysis of data for the national capital shows that air pollution accounted for nearly 15 per cent of all deaths in New Delhi in 2023 – making it the city’s single largest health risk.
According to the latest Global Burden of Disease study by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), air pollution emerged as Delhi’s deadliest health threat in 2023, accounting for nearly 15 per cent of all deaths in the capital – higher than any other risk factor.
The analysis estimates 17,188 deaths were directly linked to long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), meaning one in every seven lives lost in Delhi was tied to toxic air.
Despite this stark evidence, the union environment ministry continues to deny conclusive links between air pollution and mortality, insisting it remains just one of several contributing factors and rejecting calls for urgent, targeted action.
National Alarm Bells
The petition in the Supreme Court, filed by wellness coach Luke Coutinho, argues that India’s deteriorating air quality has reached the threshold of a “public health emergency”, invoking citizens’ constitutional right to life and health under Article 21.
It calls for time-bound national action, stronger monitoring, enforcement of existing pollution laws, and comprehensive plans across urban and rural areas.
Legal commentators say the move shifts air-pollution litigation into a new realm – from regulatory compliance to nationwide public health intervention.
Delhi’s Toll: One in Seven Deaths
The latest Global Burden of Disease (GBD) data, analysed by researchers at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), indicate that in 2023 some 17 188 deaths in Delhi – about 15 per cent of all deaths that year – were attributable to long-term PM₂.₅ exposure.
The report highlights that pollution now poses a bigger risk in the city than hypertension (12.5 per cent), diabetes (9 per cent) or high cholesterol (6 per cent) as death causes.
Experts say these figures reinforce the argument that air pollution in India must be treated as a year-round crisis, not just a winter smog problem.
Future Projections and Economic Cost
The Nature Clean Air paper lays out projections for 2050 under two scenarios: business-as-usual and a 2 °C warming pathway. It found that ambient PM₂.₅ exposures across many Indian states could increase or remain extremely high under the BAU model.
The research also estimates significant economic losses attributed to health burden – accounting for premature mortality and morbidity among working-age populations.
It further identifies key drivers of future health burden: population growth, ageing, baseline mortality rates and exposure levels – suggesting that simply focusing on emissions alone will not suffice.
What This Means for Policy
Together, the judicial petition and scientific evidence raise the stakes for India’s air-quality policy. The demand for a public health emergency elevates responsibility for the government to act – beyond inter-state coordination or seasonal measures.
In Delhi itself, despite multiple interventions under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), the city remains among the poorest performers in terms of annual mean PM₁₀ and PM₂.₅ levels.
Analysts say efforts must include:
- stronger cross-sectoral enforcement (industry, transport, agriculture)
- better monitoring coverage in rural and urban fringe zones
- linking air quality action to health systems, hospitals and disease prevention
- aligning climate and clean-air policies given the co-benefits highlighted in the npj Clean Air study
