New Delhi: In an unprecedented collective appeal, more than eighty Padma Awardee doctors from across India have issued a joint national advisory stating that India has been battling severe air pollution for over a decade, with its health impact now reaching an unmanageable scale.
The group emphasised that air pollution is no longer an environmental or seasonal concern but a direct and ongoing threat to human life, especially for children, pregnant women, the elderly and individuals with chronic heart and lung conditions.
The signatories highlighted the latest 2025 data showing that India records nearly 1.7 million air-pollution-related deaths annually. More than one-third of all respiratory deaths in the country are linked to poor air quality, and forty percent of stroke-related mortality is attributed to pollution exposure. PM2.5 levels in North India often reach twenty to forty times the WHO safe limit, and almost seventy percent of the population is now breathing air that is unsafe for daily living. Nearly four lakh child deaths each year are linked to toxic air exposure.
The doctors emphasised that the impact is not limited to respiratory or cardiac illness. Long-term exposure to PM2.5 is associated with chromosomal breakages, telomere shortening and genetic instability, which raises the risk of cancer, metabolic disorders and lifelong health impairment, including a significant worsening of diabetes outcomes. Microplastics and nanoplastics are now being detected in ambient air, particularly around high-traffic corridors, and are associated with chronic inflammation and endocrine disruption. Pollutants such as volatile organic compounds, hydrocarbon fractions and heavy metals are contributing to cancers, developmental delays, cognitive decline and worsening diabetes and hypertension control.
The advisory also outlines how the health effects of pollution unfold over time. Immediate exposure leads to eye burning, throat irritation, asthma attacks and spikes in blood pressure. Short-term exposure worsens COPD and asthma, increases infections and disrupts control of chronic diseases, particularly diabetes. Long-term exposure over months and years results in permanent lung damage in children, coronary artery disease, heart failure, stroke, cancer and neurological decline.
Calling the situation “deeply alarming and medically unacceptable,” the Padma Awardee doctors have urged the government to adopt immediate public-health-first measures. Their recommendations include:
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Correcting GRAP thresholds so they reflect accurate and science-based health risk levels.
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Declaring severe pollution periods as public health emergencies.
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Enforcing strong controls on construction dust, industrial emissions and open burning.
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Regulating older diesel vehicles and diesel generators.
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Expanding electric public transport and reducing emissions from high-density traffic zones.
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Implementing AQI-linked protocols for schools to protect children from exposure.
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Launching a national microplastics monitoring programme.
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Strengthening hazardous waste and industrial emission controls to limit heavy metals.
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Reducing tyre wear and waste burning to limit microplastic release.
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Coordinating multi-state action to reduce emissions across both urban and rural regions.
The advisory also provides detailed guidance for citizens. Households with resources are encouraged to use HEPA air purifiers, N95 masks outdoors and limit outdoor activity during high AQI periods. Homes without purifiers are advised to wet mop regularly, avoid incense, dhoop, camphor, and mosquito coils, ventilate kitchens well, and use triple-layer masks if N95 masks are unavailable. The doctors stress that children should not participate in outdoor assemblies on high AQI days, and that pregnant women, elderly individuals and patients with heart or lung disease should minimise exposure. Pneumonia and influenza vaccinations are recommended for vulnerable groups.
The Padma Awardees stated that while individual precautions are necessary, systemic change is essential. They emphasised that clean air must be recognised as a non-negotiable human right and that the protection of citizens cannot be compromised. The group has expressed its full commitment to support the government and institutions through scientific consultation, clinical expertise and public health guidance. They warned that without urgent and coordinated intervention, India risks long-term and irreversible health damage across generations.
Signed
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Air Marshal Dr Padma Bandopadhyay
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Dr (Lt Gen) B N Shahi
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Dr A K Bhalla
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Dr A K Grover
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Dr Alaka Deshpande
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Dr Alka Kriplani
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Dr Ambrish Mithal
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Dr Anil Kohli
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Dr Anoop Misra
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Dr Arvind Lal
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Dr Arvinder Singh Soin
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Dr Ashok Gupta
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Dr Ashok Seth
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Dr Ashok Vaid
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Dr Atul Kumar
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Dr B K Rao
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Dr Balbir Singh
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Dr Balram Bhargava
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Dr Chandrashekhar Meshram
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Dr D S Rana
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Dr Daljeet Singh Gambhir
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Dr Digambar Behera
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Dr Deepak Sehgal
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Dr Devendra Triguna
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Dr Dinesh Bhargava
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Dr Ganesh K Mani
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Dr Harsh Kumar
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Dr Harsh Mahajan
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Dr Himmatrao Bawaskar
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Dr J M Hans
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Dr Jagdish Prasad
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Dr Jeewan S Titiyal
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Dr K K Naik
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Dr K K Sethi
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Dr Kamalkar Tripathi
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Dr Kameshwar Prasad
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Dr Lalit Kumar
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Dr M Khalilullah
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Dr M V Padma Srivastava
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Dr Mahesh Verma
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Dr Mahipal Sachdev
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Dr Malvika Sabharwal
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Dr Manjula Anagani
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Dr Milind Kirtane
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Dr Mohsin Wali
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Dr N K Ganguly
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Dr N P Gupta
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Dr Narendra Pandey
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Dr Naresh Trehan
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Dr Neelam Kler
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Dr Neerja Bhatla
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Dr Nikhil Tandon
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Dr Nitish Naik
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Dr Nosher Shroff
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Dr P K Julka
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Dr P K Sethi
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Dr Pradeep Chowbey
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Dr Praveen Chandra
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Dr Purshotam Lal
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Dr R K Grover
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Dr Ramakant Deshpande
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Dr Raman Kapur
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Dr Raminder Grover
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Dr Randeep Guleria
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Dr Randhir Sud
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Dr Ravindra Kolhe
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Dr S C Manchanda
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Dr Saroj Chooramani
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Dr S P Mandal
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Dr S P Yadav
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Dr Sandeep Guleria
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Dr Sanjeev Bagai
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Dr Saumitra Rawat
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Dr Shashank Joshi
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Dr Shiv Kumar Sarin
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Dr Sudhir Shah
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Dr T S Kler
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Dr Tejas Patel
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Dr Upendra Kaul
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Dr V Mohan
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Lt Gen Dr Velu Nair
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Dr Yash Gulati
