Can rewilding and reforestation help air pollution in India?

India’s worsening pollution crisis has pushed activist Jai Dhar Gupta to restore a patch of degraded land on the edge of Rajaji National Park. After suffering health problems linked to Delhi’s toxic air, he began transforming a former eucalyptus plantation into a rewilded biosphere. Guided by ecologist Vijay Dhasmana, the project removes monocultures, restores natural contours and tracks improving biodiversity. While small, it shows how private responsibility can support forest recovery and inspire wider citizen-led conservation in a country facing severe ecological decline. Jai is now planning a second biosphere in south of the India, where neighboring landowners are interested in rewilding land collectively — a model that could have greater impact and inspire others to follow suit.