A study by the Raahgiri Foundation and ICCT India shows Gurugram school kids face pollution 5.5 times the safe limit. Peak levels hit during drop-off and pick-up times. Amit Bhatt said, "Air pollution is an immediate, daily hazard that our children inhale on their way to learn." Infrastructure changes are needed.
Schoolchildren in Gurugram are exposed to fine particulate matter (PM) pollution levels up to 5.5 times the permissible national standards during their daily commute and school hours, according to a study by the Raahgiri Foundation and the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) India.
The report, Clean Air Zones Around Schools: Gurugram Case Example, was released at Urban Adda 2026 during a session titled "From Tailpipes to Treelines: Reimagining Urban Air through Clean Air Zones".
The study mapped the relationship between traffic congestion, inadequate pedestrian infrastructure and children's exposure to air pollution around schools. It found that PM2.5 concentrations during school hours exceeded national ambient air quality standards by four to 5.5 times, while PM10 levels were four to 4.25 times the permissible limits.
Continuous monitoring showed that peak concentrations of PM2.5, PM10 and overall air quality index (AQI) coincided with morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up periods, when traffic congestion and vehicle idling around school gates were at their highest.
The problem was particularly acute for children who walk to school, the report said. In many locations, students were forced to use unpaved and unprotected roadside spaces alongside moving traffic, exposing them not only to road safety risks but also to dust resuspended by passing vehicles.
Even schools with relatively lower traffic volumes recorded sharp, localised pollution spikes because of clusters of idling school buses and other vehicles near their gates, the study found.
The findings also highlighted a gap in conventional city-wide air-quality monitoring, which may not capture the highly localised pollution exposure experienced by children along school access corridors.
The report called for dedicated "Clean Air Zones" around schools, combining safer pedestrian infrastructure, traffic management and cleaner school transport.
It recommended dedicated, dust-free footpaths, raised pedestrian crossings and traffic-calming measures to separate walking children from vehicular traffic. It also called for strict enforcement of anti-idling measures near school gates and redesigning drop-off and pick-up circulation routes.
The study further recommended transitioning school buses and private vans to electric transport to reduce vehicular emissions around schools.
"Air pollution is an immediate, daily hazard that our children inhale on their way to learn. By re-designing street infrastructure around schools, we can safeguard both child health and road safety in a single, unified action," said Amit Bhatt, managing director, ICCT India.
Sarika Panda Bhatt, co-founder and trustee, Raahgiri Foundation, said children were particularly vulnerable because their lungs were still developing. "We cannot ask our youth to walk to school for a healthier future while leaving them exposed to unsafe streets and hazardous air. Creating protected, clean-air zones around every school is an urgent imperative for city planners," she said.
Tarun Kumar Pithode, member secretary, Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), said Clean Air Zones could serve as a starting point for wider emission-control measures.
"Clean Air Zones are vital social experiments that prove citizens can navigate cities without emitting toxic smoke. When lakhs of citizens demand accountability, administrators are forced to deliver results - paving the way for a unified, city-wide Low Emission Zone," Pithode said.
He added that the way forward on air pollution was to progressively establish larger Clean Air Zones, beginning with areas around schools and hospitals to protect vulnerable populations.
The session was attended by Pithode, Prof Sagnik Dey, head, Centre for Atmospheric Sciences, IIT Delhi; Swagata Dey of CSTEP; Ashpreet Sethi of ICCT; and Rishabh Sethi of Energiva Ventures.
Urban Adda 2026 is being held at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, from October 5 to 7, bringing together scientists, policymakers, urban experts and citizens to discuss measures to make Indian cities more liveable.