India’s capital city of New Delhi recorded more than 200,000 cases of acute respiratory illnesses at six state-run hospitals between 2022 and 2024, government numbers showed, highlighting the adverse effects of toxic air on health.
Delhi, with its sprawling metropolitan region of 30 million residents, is regularly ranked among the world’s most polluted capitals.
India’s health ministry told parliament on Tuesday that air pollution was one of the triggering factors for respiratory ailments.
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“Analysis suggests that the increase in pollution levels was associated with an increase in the number of patients attending emergency rooms,” junior health minister Prataprao Jadhav said in a written reply.
More than 30,000 people with respiratory illnesses had to be hospitalised in the three years.
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New Delhi records over 200,000 respiratory cases due to toxic air
New Delhi records over 200,000 respiratory cases due to toxic air
Acrid smog blankets Delhi’s skyline each winter, when cooler air traps pollutants close to the ground, creating a deadly mix of emissions from crop burning, factories and heavy traffic.