What Began With Five Worried Delhi Moms Has Grown Into a 1500-Strong Fight for Clean Air

21 November 2025

Delhi’s air reached an AQI of over 425. Empty playgrounds. Coughing teens. Children trapped indoors. That’s when five mothers decided to act. Not just complain. Not just WhatsApp forwards. Action. They became Warrior Moms.

It began with a personal wake-up call. Bhavreen Kandhari’s twin daughters were constantly sick in Delhi. Summer trips to the US cleared their symptoms. The city’s air was making them ill.

What began as five frustrated mothers in 2020 has grown into a pan-India network of 1,500+ Warrior Moms, active across 13 states, united by a single mission: clean air for children.

The problem was bigger than they imagined. 98% of Indian children breathe unsafe air, and in Delhi, every third child has impaired lungs. Asthma, bronchitis, and allergies — invisible threats attacking young lungs every day.

The movement quickly spread beyond Delhi. Mothers across Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Jharkhand raised awareness, empowered citizens, and engaged authorities.

They took action where it mattered most. In Nagpur, they launched “Chulha Free India”, highlighting how wood stoves harm women and children. In Chandigarh, they turned the Dadumajra landfill into a political issue.

In Delhi, their research revealed three trees cut every hour for three years, totalling 77,000 lost trees. Every fact became a tool to protect children’s futures.

Vehicle pollution accounts for 50% of Delhi’s air pollution. Warrior Moms demand a new urban vision: “Cities should be built for people, not cars.”

Cycle lanes, more buses, and pollution-free zones near schools — small steps with big impact. Every mother is driven by fear and hope. Bhavreen says, “We do everything for our children. The future I want is simple — healthy.”