WHEN a wellness expert, rather than a lawmaker, has to move the Supreme Court over the right to breathe, it signals a collapse of political will. Luke Coutinho’s PIL urging the apex court to declare air pollution a “national public health emergency” exposes what India has refused to admit — that the air itself has turned against its people. From Delhi to Lucknow, from Gurugram to Patna, citizens are inhaling poison sanctioned by apathy. Masks and purifiers have become status symbols for the few who can afford them, while millions of children grow up gasping through toxic haze. The latest estimates — 22 lakh Delhi children with permanent lung damage — should have sparked outrage and action. Instead, silence hangs thicker than the smog. Lakhs of people succumb to diseases linked to PM2.5 exposure every year, show studies.
