A Struggle for Clean Air: Pollution, Rights, and Responsibilities

As I sit here at 3:20 in the morning, struggling to sleep due to breathing issues, I’m reminded once again of the critical importance of strong lungs and a resilient immune system. Every year, around this time — just when the festive season kicks off and people are gearing up to celebrate — I’m forced to deal with my annual respiratory problems. Instead of enjoying the festivities, I rely on heavy medications, inhalers, and a nebulizer just to get by. Doctors have told me that I’m likely allergic to pollution. If there’s even a fraction of truth in that diagnosis, it makes me deeply concerned about the broader impact a polluted environment has on others — particularly on children and the elderly, who are naturally more susceptible. If this affects me so severely, how do they manage to navigate through this hazardous season?

This situation often makes me reflect on the rights given to us under the Indian Constitution — especially Article 21, which covers right to life as fundamental right. Over the years, the honorable Supreme Court has interpreted this to include the right to an unpolluted environment as an essential aspect of the right to life. Yet, despite such clarity, it’s disheartening to see that the administration often fails to take stock of the situation. It makes me wonder how meaningful these rights are when on the ground…