Air pollution in India—especially across North India—has reached a point where it is no longer an environmental concern alone. It is a public health emergency and a constitutional failure.

For over 10 years, millions of citizens in Delhi NCR, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar and surrounding regions have been breathing dangerously polluted air throughout the year, not just during winter months. PM2.5 levels regularly exceed both India's National Ambient Air Quality Standards and WHO safety limits, often by multiple times.

Despite the scale and duration of this crisis:

• Neither House of Parliament held a detailed discussion on air pollution
   No time was allocated to debate root causes, accountability, or long-term solutions
• The issue was acknowledged in media and public discourse, yet formally ignored inside Parliament

This silence is alarming.

Under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, the Right to Life includes the Right to Health and a Clean Environment, as repeatedly affirmed by the Supreme Court of India. When citizens are exposed to toxic air for hundreds of days each year, this right stands violated.

Key Facts That Demand Parliamentary Attention

• Around 60% of India's districts exceed national air quality limits.
•  Zero districts meet WHO-recommended PM2.5 standards.
•  Air pollution contributes to respiratory disease, heart disease, reduced life expectancy, and impaired child development.
• Pollution levels remain unhealthy even outside winter months, proving this is a structural emissions issue, not a seasonal anomaly.

Why the Budget Session Matters

The Budget Session is where:

• National priorities are defined
•  Funds are allocated
• Policy direction is set

If air pollution is not debated here, it signals that public health and citizen lives are not national priorities.

Our Demand

• We respectfully demand that Parliament, during the upcoming Budget Session, must:
• Hold a dedicated, multi-day discussion on air pollution in both Houses
•  Publicly acknowledge air pollution as a year-round national health emergency.
• Define measurable targets for PM2.5 reduction linked to constitutional obligations.
• Present clear, funded, time-bound plans covering transport, energy, construction, and urban planning.
• Ensure accountability and transparency through regular public reporting

This petition is not against any political party.
It is a call for Parliament to fulfill its constitutional duty to the people of India.

For over a decade, citizens of North India have lived with compromised lungs, sick children, and shrinking life expectancy. Silence is no longer acceptable.

Democracy does not end at passing bills. It begins with responding citizens when their basic right to breathe is under threat.

We urge Members of Parliament, across parties, to place this issue on the agenda and address it with the seriousness it deserves.