For 16-year-old Abhiveer Gulati, air pollution in Delhi is not just a seasonal problem that makes headlines every winter. Having grown up in the capital, he has seen how poor air quality affects people's everyday lives, particularly children and workers who cannot avoid spending long hours outdoors. He also realised that the ability to protect oneself from polluted air is not the same for everyone. While some families can afford indoor air purifiers, many children living in economically disadvantaged neighbourhoods have little protection.
This concern led him to start the NCR Clean Air Campaign, a community-led initiative that combines public awareness, protective measures and legal action. The Delhi teenager has organised awareness workshops, worked with non-governmental organisations and residential associations, distributed protective masks and taken the issue of pollution accountability to court.
His work has now earned him international recognition. Action For Nature, a US-based environmental organisation, named Abhiveer a 2026 International
Young Eco-Hero Award winner, securing third place in the categories of Environmental Education and Awareness and Sustainable Cities and Communities. The organisation recognised his efforts to address air…