Around 82% residents report pollution-linked illnesses: Study

As Delhi vanishes behind a dense grey curtain and toxic air continues to choke the National Capital Region, a new survey has found that 82 per cent of Delhi-NCR residents have one or more people in their close social network suffering from severe health conditions that they attribute to long-term exposure to air pollution.

The survey, conducted by community platform Local Circles, said 28 per cent of the respondents reported having four or more such individuals among family members, friends, neighbours or colleagues.

It said the health conditions include asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung damage, heart failure, strokes and cognitive decline, which the respondents linked to a sustained exposure to polluted air.

Delhi choked under a thick blanket of smog on Monday, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) settling at 498, which falls in the higher spectrum of the “severe” category.

The AQI in Delhi climbed to 461 on Sunday, marking the city’s most-polluted day this winter and the second-worst-air-quality day in December on record, as weak winds and low temperatures trapped pollutants close to the surface.

According to the survey, the air quality across large parts of Delhi-NCR has remained in the “very poor” and “severe” categories since late October.

Underlining the scale of the public health crisis in the region, it claimed that fine particulate matter is triggering a sharp rise in cases of respiratory and cardiac ailments, particularly among children, the elderly and those with pre-existing health conditions.

The survey also highlighted a growing anxiety over medical expenses, with 73 per cent of the respondents saying they are worried about being able to afford healthcare for themselves and their families if they continue living in the region amid recurring pollution episodes.

Eight per cent of the respondents said they intend to move out of Delhi-NCR because of the toxic air, while the majority said they are compelled to stay due to work, family responsibilities and other constraints.

The survey received more than 34,000 responses from the residents of Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Faridabad and Ghaziabad.

Local Circles said it plans to share the findings with Government stakeholders, urging for urgent action to address pollution sources and explore healthcare support measures for the affected populations caption.

A municipal truck sprays water on a roadside to suppress dust and pollution amid dense foggy conditions, in New Delhi, on Monday.

People at the Parliament House complex amid dense fog on a cold winter morning in New Delhi on Monday.