The Air Quality Index (AQI) has started touching poor quality marks in the national capital making it a gas chamber with the Index Value of 278 on Saturday. Even the NCR area of the capital has been experiencing the poor AQI due to the smog layer. Ghaziabad saw a 253 index value with poor air quality, followed by Noida at 229 AQI and Gurugram at 176 index value with moderate air quality.

A survey conducted by digital platform LocalCircles with 21,000 residents of Delhi-NCR experiencing pollution-related ailments like sore throat, cough, and breathing difficulty.

The survey revealed that 36 per cent of families have one or more members experiencing sore throat, cough, and breathing difficulty due to pollution and 27 per cent of the families have one or more members with a runny nose and congestion.

Twenty-seven per cent of respondents said they were not facing any health issues related to the poor air quality, according to the survey.

With Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) in the "poor" category, the survey asked the respondents about their plans to cope. The survey highlighted that only 18 per cent of the respondents intend to use air purifiers whereas a large chunk of respondents plan to increase their intake of immunity-boosting foods and drinks.

"About 22 per cent of the people are considering leaving the city for a few days to avoid the peak pollution period around Diwali," the survey said.

The poor AQI in the capital leads to the people facing health problems. The smog layer leads to choking in the throat and breathing issues. The common discomforts faced by the residents are persistent cough, wheezing, shortness of breath, tight chest and fatigue.

During the winter months, Delhi experiences severe pollution, driven by a combination of factors such as low wind speeds, a drop in temperatures, high moisture levels, and the presence of pollution particles that act as a surface for condensation.

Emissions from transportation account for approximately 11.2 per cent of Delhi's air pollution, according to the Centre's Decision Support System for Air Quality Management in Delhi.

The people in old age face severe difficulties in breathing normally. The throat choke also leads to a bad throat affected just by the bad air.

The pollution moreover causes irritation and burning eyes causing a lot of discomfort to the residents even before Diwali. It is an even big horror dance for those suffering from respiratory problems, like asthma, tuberculosis (TB) and lung disorders.  

Dr. DK Singhal, who owns clinic  in Rohini said, “The pollution is rising each day and people should take necessary precautions.

They should stay away from dust and spray water around their houses to prevent the blowing of dust. The rising AQI can affect the lungs of the normal people badly causing serious respiratory problems.”

He further added that people should use a mask or a wet hanky to keep their mouth and nose covered and protected.

On Friday, October 18, the AQI had hit 292, with the Wazirpur region being the worst affected with a reading of 390.

Delhi's Air Quality Index slipping into the 'poor' category and some areas even recording ‘very poor' air quality has sparked a political blame game with the BJP accusing the ruling AAP of failing to tackle the situation.

The Delhi government blamed the changing weather conditions in the city for the deteriorating air quality while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alleged that incidents of stubble burning have increased in neighbouring Haryana and Uttar Pradesh under the BJP rule.

According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the 24-hour average AQI was recorded at 278 at 4 pm on Saturday. Of the 36 monitoring stations, 11 -- Anand Vihar, Bawana, Dwarka, Jahangirpuri, Mundka, Narela, Patparganj, Rohini, Shadipur, Sonia Vihar, Wazirpur -- recorded 'very poor' air quality.