Help Them Breathe: Protect Children in Nizamuddin from Air Pollution - led by Abhiveer Gulati

Air pollution in Delhi–NCR has become one of the gravest public health emergencies of our time — and its youngest citizens are paying the highest price. Toxic smog and microscopic pollutants saturate the air daily, making it harder for children to breathe, learn, grow, and thrive.

Right now, Delhi’s air quality routinely reaches very unhealthy and severe levels — with fine particulate matter (PM2.5) sometimes 10 × the World Health Organization’s safe limits.

This isn’t just uncomfortable — it’s life-altering. Studies have found that:

• Over 2.2 million children in Delhi have irreversible lung damage due to chronic exposure to toxic air.
• Nearly one-third of children in Delhi suffer from respiratory symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, chest tightness and breathing difficulty — significantly higher than in rural communities.
• Research shows poor or restrictive lung development in 43.5 % of school-age children in Delhi, compared to just 22 % in less polluted rural areas.

Air pollution doesn’t just harm lungs — it interferes with heart health, cognitive development, immunity, and can even begin its damage before birth.

In communities like Nizamuddin, where children already face environmental and socioeconomic vulnerabilities, this toxic air compounds existing inequalities — making protection and support not a luxury, but a necessity.

That’s why this campaign — led by Abhiveer Gulati, in collaboration with Chintan Environmental Action and Research Group — is more than just a fundraiser. It’s a community-driven solution rooted in dignity and resilience.

He’s a 16-year-old student at Vasant Valley School, New Delhi, and he has seen firsthand how children his own age struggle with severe respiratory issues when air quality levels turn dangerous. Beyond raising his voice, Abhiveer has spent years working on the ground — leading basic education and skill-building workshops in rural schools, and supporting financial inclusion initiatives for farmers. Today, he is determined to take that same hands-on approach to protect children living in Nizamuddin Basti, who face some of the worst health impacts of toxic air.

Funds raised will be used to provide sewing machines and raw materials at the local Chintan Centre, empowering community members to produce affordable, locally-made protective masks for the children and families who need them most.

This initiative does two critical things:

💚 Immediate health protection from the dangerous air they breathe every day.

💚 Sustainable livelihood opportunities that support families and strengthen the community.

A small donation today can change a child’s tomorrow — helping them breathe cleaner air and build a healthier future, one mask at a time.