Fighting air pollution will take more than masks and symbolic fixes

The human cost is staggering. If India were to bring its pollution levels down to WHO norms, life expectancy will increase for everyone

A new study by the Energy Policy Institute (EPIC) at the University of Chicago has confirmed what millions of Indians feel every day — the air they breathe is silently cutting their lives short. Far from being a problem confined to the smog-choked skies of Delhi and northwestern India, the effects of air pollution are being felt across the country. On average, Indians are losing 3.5 years of life expectancy to particulate pollution, which has a far greater impact than malnutrition, tobacco use, or unsafe water and sanitation. The numbers highlighted in the report are grim. In 2023, India’s average