India Today

Breathe in India: We are being slowly poisoned to death

Air pollution kills more Indians than terrorism does, and should be attacked with the same zeal and resources directed at that threat. It is the number one enemy.

Very few Indians today breathe air that would meet WHO standards. In other words, we are being slowly poisoned to death. Yes, death. I asked my colleagues Rajat and Pitambara to research some numbers in time for Diwali. Of all the scary data they pulled out, this topped the list of shockers: according to The Lancet, in 2015, about 1.8 million Indians died of air pollution.

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from India Today

India Today2 min read
A Sluggish Pace
PRIVATE INVESTMENT, ALONG WITH CONSUMPTION, government spending and exports, is a key component of growth. After the NDA came to power in 2014, private investment increased initially, but soon began to slow down. Total value of completed investment p
India Today4 min read
Under Siege
Beginning in the 1950s, and especially over the past four decades, the Owaisis and their All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) have run an unchallenged political monopoly in Hyderabad. While not losing the Lok Sabha constituency even once si
India Today1 min read
Rise Of The First Lady
Lest someone thinks Tihar is letting Hemant Soren live life hi-fi (complete with WiFi), the former Jharkhand CM’s tagline on X now carries a disclaimer: “Account managed by wife Kalpana Murmu Soren.” But of course, anyone who’s been keeping an eye on

Related