A Citizen-Led National Archive of India's Air Quality Crisis
JanVayu (जनवायु — "People's Air") is a non-partisan, citizen-led initiative to build India's first comprehensive public archive documenting the air quality crisis — its data, its victims, its policies, and its public memory.
This is not a campaign. It is a record.
- Real-time AQI data from 500+ monitoring stations (via WAQI/CPCB)
- Health burden evidence — mortality data, epidemiological studies (Lancet, IHME)
- Policy and legal documents — NCAP, GRAP, NGT/Supreme Court orders
- Citizen testimonies — firsthand accounts from affected communities
- Journalism and investigations — verified media coverage
- Public sentiment — satire, memes, cultural responses
- Scientific research — peer-reviewed papers, datasets
Every winter, India's air quality crisis dominates headlines. Every summer, it fades from public memory. Policy responses remain fragmented. Accountability is diffuse. Data is scattered across dozens of platforms.
JanVayu creates a permanent, structured, publicly accessible record — so that evidence persists, patterns become visible, and accountability becomes possible.
The website features:
- Real-time AQI dashboard with data from 16+ Indian cities
- Health impact research (Lancet Countdown 2025, Harvard/Karolinska studies)
- Economic cost tracking ($339.4B / 9.5% GDP impact)
- Policy tracker (NCAP, GRAP stages, Supreme Court orders)
- Citizen voices archive (social media, testimonies, viral content)
- Accountability tracker for officials and institutions
- Interactive tools (AQI calculator, RTI templates, action guides)
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Annual PM2.5 Deaths | 1.72 million | Lancet Countdown 2025 |
| Economic Cost | $339.4 billion (9.5% GDP) | Lancet Countdown 2025 |
| India's Global Share | 70% of pollution deaths | Lancet Countdown 2025 |
| Most Polluted Capital | New Delhi (91.6 µg/m³) | IQAir 2024 |
| Most Polluted City | Byrnihat (128.2 µg/m³) | IQAir 2024 |
JanVayu integrates 160+ verified public data sources, including:
| Source | Type | Access |
|---|---|---|
| WAQI | Real-time AQI | Free API |
| CPCB CAAQMS | Official AQI | Free |
| IHME GBD | Health burden | Free |
| Lancet Countdown | Annual health reports | Open Access |
| NASA FIRMS | Fire detection | Free |
| Indian Kanoon | Legal/court orders | Free |
| PRANA Portal | NCAP tracking | Free |
| IQAir | World Air Quality Report | Free |
JanVayu/
├── index.html # Main website (single-page application)
├── README.md # This file
├── CONTRIBUTING.md # Contribution guidelines
├── CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md # Community standards
├── LICENSE # MIT (code) + CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 (content)
├── CNAME # Custom domain configuration
└── netlify.toml # Deployment configuration
- Frontend: Vanilla HTML/CSS/JavaScript (no framework dependencies)
- Charts: Chart.js
- Maps: Leaflet.js with OpenStreetMap
- API: World Air Quality Index (WAQI) API
- Hosting: Netlify (auto-deploy from GitHub)
- Domain: janvayu.in
We welcome contributions from:
- Researchers — datasets, papers, analysis
- Journalists — investigations, verified reports
- Developers — code, visualizations, tools
- Citizens — testimonies, local documentation, translations
- Designers — accessibility, communication
See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.
JanVayu is a non-partisan initiative. It is not affiliated with any political party, government body, or corporate entity.
Editorial decisions are guided by:
- Factual accuracy and verification
- Source transparency
- Respect for affected communities
- Accessibility across languages and regions
This project was previously known as "Vayu Smriti" (वायु स्मृति). Following community feedback and a vote, it was renamed to JanVayu (जनवायु) in January 2026 for better linguistic inclusivity across India's diverse language communities.
- Code: MIT License
- Content/Documentation: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
- Data: Individual sources retain original licenses
See LICENSE for details.
- Email: contact@janvayu.in
- Website: janvayu.in
- GitHub: github.com/Varnasr/JanVayu
JanVayu is a public interest project. If you wish to support:
- Contribute data or expertise — see Contributing above
- Report issues — Open an issue
- Spread awareness — Share the website
JanVayu is built on the principle that public memory is a prerequisite for public accountability.
जनवायु — क्योंकि हवा सबकी है।