India, Feb. 7 -- This is my 14th winter in Delhi, and what was once a season I embraced has become one I dread. For many, winter mornings mean walks in the park, sunlight, perhaps a cup of tea outdoors. For me, mornings begin with anxiety. I do not reach for the newspaper; I reach for the AQI Air Quality app. That number on the air quality index now dictates the rhythm of my day. Can I step out? No-the air is toxic. Should I do yoga? Not the strenuous kind. Open the windows? Only briefly, and with discomfort.

What we breathe is no longer air; it is a cocktail of pollutants-fine particles, chemicals and invisible threats that settle deep into our lungs and bloodstream. Fifteen years in sustainability and waste management have given me kno...