In Delhi and the surrounding National Capital Region, the young generation is battling more than smog—it’s confronting a crisis that could define their futures. A new report highlights that children here are at risk of dying earlier, being dumber, getting sicker, and performing poorly in school, simply because of the air they breathe. Chronic exposure to fine particulate matter (PM₂.₅) and other pollutants is linked to premature death, especially from respiratory infections like pneumonia.

Neurocognitive development is also under threat: long-term pollution exposure correlates with lower IQ, poorer attention, structural changes in the brain and weaker academic outcomes. Health-wise, Delhi’s children are showing rising cases of asthma, bronchitis and persistent inflammation because their lungs and immune systems are repeatedly assaulted.

Despite diagnoses and warnings, meaningful action remains limited—and the hazard is anything but temporary. The situation isn’t just bad days of discomfort; it’s a generational emergency in which every breath carries a burden. Governments, schools and families must recognise that clean air is not a luxury: it’s a basic right central to childhood, learning and life itself. Without immediate systemic change, today’s kids may carry the cost of inaction for decades.