Delhi records over 200,000 respiratory cases amid worsening pollution

Between 2022 and 2024, more than 200,000 cases of acute respiratory illnesses were reported in six state-run hospitals in Delhi, with over 30,000 patients requiring hospitalization, the Indian government said in parliament.

Toxic air remains a recurring winter problem
Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI), which measures pollutants including PM2.5, has consistently exceeded safe limits, at times more than 20 times the World Health Organization’s recommendation. Contributing factors include industrial emissions, vehicle exhaust, low temperatures, stagnant winds, and seasonal crop stubble burning in neighboring states.

Hospitals and courts call for urgent action
The six major hospitals recorded 67,054 cases in 2022, 69,293 in 2023, and 68,411 in 2024. Authorities noted a correlation between rising pollution and emergency room visits, though causation is unconfirmed. The Delhi High Court is set to hear a petition demanding urgent measures to curb hazardous air, following reports of increasing hospitalizations, particularly among children.