Air Pollution & Its Rising Impact on Children’s Health

By Vini Soni — a mother of two (ages 7 and 3), learning motherhood day by day, and writing from a place of deep helplessness about Delhi’s worsening pollution

Living in Delhi as a parent has turned air pollution into a constant emotional burden. For me, it isn’t just a headline or a statistic - it’s an everyday worry that shadows my children’s routines. What once used to be a seasonal spike in winter has now become an all-year reality, one that parents like me feel in every cough, every sleepless night, and every restricted day of play.

While the AQI gives us numbers, the real impact shows up in far more human ways. A friend’s child, for instance, who suddenly needs an inhaler for recurring wheezing episodes. Kids catching colds far too frequently and taking unusually long to recover. Children coughing after barely a few minutes of outdoor activity. These aren’t rare stories anymore. Instead, they’re becoming the lived experiences of families across Delhi.

What troubles me most is how pollution is quietly weakening children’s immunity. Doctors casually saying “This is common in Delhi kids now” should not feel normal. Yet we hear it so often that it starts sounding routine, and that is terrifying.

Like most parents, I try to do what I can. At home, air purifiers run endlessly. In school, thankfully, my children have access to purified classrooms, which gives some comfort. But this comfort also comes with guilt. What about children who don’t go to such “hifi” schools? What about kids who breathe the same city air without any protection? 

Yet, home and school aren't the only places for kids. Places like parks that are meant to make them healthier now expose them to harmful air. How do we tell kids that playing outside is unsafe?

As a regular, honest, tax-paying citizen, I don’t think wanting clean air is asking for too much. It’s not a luxury. It is the most basic expectation from our government. Instead of temporary band-aids applied every winter, we need long-term, consistent measures. Stricter emission controls, cleaner public transport, better waste management, and accountability that doesn’t fade with the seasons.

Parents can manage indoor air, but the solution cannot stop at our front door. Real change will come only when the air outside becomes safe for every child, regardless of where they study or live.

Clean air should be a right, not a privilege. And as a mother, all I want is the simple freedom for my children to breathe without fear.