The nation today is enveloped in a shroud of toxic air so dense and deadly that it defines the rhythm of daily life. The country has become accustomed to waking up to skyless mornings, to weather apps that read like hazard warnings, to masks worn not for a pandemic but for particulate matter.

Global rankings shame India without mercy. India hosts 14 of the world’s 20 most polluted cities, with Delhi, Ghaziabad, Begusarai, Noida, Faridabad, Kanpur, and Lucknow frequently counted among the worst. Delhi, the reluctant poster child of urban decay, has repeatedly clocked on the list. The air quality index often reads above 450, a level at which breathing itself becomes an act of defiance. Mumbai, once cushioned by sea winds, now regularly breaches 300, and Kolkata oscillates between 200 and 30

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