Over 200,000 Delhi Residents Suffer Respiratory Illnesses Due to Air Pollution

New Delhi: Air pollution in Delhi has led to more than 200,000 cases of acute respiratory illnesses (ARI) in just six major central government hospitals over the past three years, with over 30,000 patients requiring hospitalisation, Parliament was informed. Union Health Minister of State Prataprao Jadhav highlighted that air pollution is a significant contributor to rising conditions such as asthma, COPD, and other lung infections.

Data tabled in response to Rajya Sabha Question No. 274 by MP Dr. Vikramjit Singh Sahney revealed that between 2022 and 2024, hospitals including AIIMS, Safdarjung, LHMC group, RML, NITRD, and VPCI recorded a total of 2,04,758 emergency cases. Of these, 30,420 patients, nearly 15%, required admission, reflecting the severity of cases presenting to healthcare facilities. Year-wise figures show 67,054 emergency cases with 9,874 admissions in 2022, 69,293 cases with 9,727 admissions in 2023, and 68,411 cases with 10,819 admissions in 2024. While total emergency visits dipped slightly in 2024, hospitalisations rose sharply, indicating worsening severity.

Scientific studies support the link between pollution and respiratory illnesses. An ICMR multi-city study across five sites analysed over 33,000 patients and found spikes in pollution levels correlated with increased emergency visits for respiratory complaints. The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has also expanded digital surveillance through the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP) since August 2023, covering more than 230 sentinel sites across 30 States and UTs, including six in Delhi.

Despite repeated government advisories under the National Programme on Climate Change and Human Health (NPCCHH), urging states to strengthen healthcare preparedness, stock essential medicines, and issue public warnings when AQI worsens, Delhi continues to struggle. On Wednesday, the city recorded an average AQI of 342, remaining in the ‘very poor’ category. Efforts by central and state authorities, including artificial rainfall initiatives, have largely failed, and public protests against pollution have reportedly been suppressed.

As the capital braces for another toxic winter, the latest parliamentary data underscores the health toll of chronic air pollution, with over two lakh emergency visits in three years serving as a stark reminder that Delhi is literally choking.