New Delhi: More than 80 Padma awardee doctors from across the country on Thursday issued an unprecedented joint national advisory warning that India’s air pollution crisis has escalated into a “direct and ongoing threat to human life”, with its health impacts now reaching unmanageable levels.

In the strongly worded statement, the signatories said air pollution is no longer a seasonal or environmental issue but a year-round public health emergency, particularly endangering children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with chronic heart and lung conditions.

Citing 2025 data, the doctors said India records nearly 1.7 million air-pollution-related deaths annually. Over one-third of respiratory deaths are linked to poor air quality, while as much as 40 per cent of stroke-related morta

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