Children with N95 respirator, Korba district, Chhattisgarh

In 2016, severe air pollution has disrupted everyday life in India, especially during the winter season. In 2015, air pollution (PM2.5) levels increased in a rapid manner surpassing even China’s extremes. The states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra especially, have seen pollution increase drastically. However, the country is yet to come to the full understanding that air pollution is a national problem and to win the fight against it, we need to act as a country and across city or even regional boundaries.
These images have been shot around Thermal Power Stations in the state of Chhattisghar, in central India.