Breathing Here Is Injurious to Your Health: The Human Cost of Air Pollution and How You Can Be the Change

Jyoti Pande Lavakare

Every year millions of Indians see their life expectancy drastically cut short by the involuntary – yet essential – act of breathing.

When Jyoti Pande Lavakare's otherwise healthy mother is diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer in 2017, the connection of her mother's terminal illness to air pollution comes up quickly for Jyoti, a seasoned clean air evangelist.

Back in 2013, Jyoti had chanced upon information that revealed a chilling truth: across north India, and particularly in the national capital, deadly PM 2.5 microparticles in the air had reached hazardous levels. New Delhi had become a gas chamber, its air insidiously choking its citizens, hastening disease and death.

Determined to bring about awareness, Jyoti and other concerned individuals band together as Care For Air and embark upon a rousing journey to battle the apathy surrounding air pollution. From presenting data at school PTA meetings to participating in public protests and media debates, questioning the legislature and eventually approaching the Supreme Court of India – Jyoti and her group use every forum they can think of, pushing for the Indian citizen’s right to breathe clean air.

At once alarming and compelling, Breathing Here Is Injurious to Your Health is an urgent call to action and delivers a powerful message: that change begins with each one of us and that it is imperative to hold governments accountable in the fight for better air.