NEW DELHI: Delhi’s air quality has again plunged to hazardous levels, with smog blanketing the city for several days. Public health officials warned of a likely spike in respiratory and pollution-related illnesses.
According to data presented in Parliament, over two lakh patients with acute respiratory illnesses visited emergency departments at six central government hospitals between 2022 and 2024, with more than 30,000 hospitalisations.
The Global Burden of Disease study by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation estimated 17,188 deaths in Delhi in 2023—about 15% of all deaths—linked to air pollution, up from 15,786 in 2018. The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air attributed this to prolonged PM2.5 exposure.