Delhi’s Pollution Crisis Exposed: 2 Lakh Respiratory Cases in 3 Years

Six major central government hospitals in Delhi recorded over 2.04 lakh emergency visits for acute respiratory illnesses (ARI) between 2022 and 2024, with 30,420 patients (almost 15%) requiring admission, the Union Health Ministry informed Parliament on Wednesday. The alarming figures—from AIIMS, Safdarjung, RML, LHMC, KSCH, and Kalawati Saran Children’s Hospital—were tabled by Minister of State for Health Prataprao Jadhav in response to a question by nominated Rajya Sabha MP Dr Vikramjit Singh Sahney.

The data highlights the capital’s worsening air-pollution crisis: emergency footfall for breathing difficulties, asthma attacks, COPD exacerbations, and lung infections consistently spikes every winter when PM2.5 levels breach 300-500 µg/m³. An ongoing Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) multi-city study across Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, and Vellore has already established a direct, statistically significant correlation between AQI deterioration and same-day/next-day surges in respiratory emergency visits.

Health experts have long warned that Delhi’s toxic air is creating a “public health emergency”. Children under five and the elderly are disproportionately affected, with paediatric wards reporting up to 40% higher admissions during November–February. Safdarjung Hospital alone logged 58,214 ARI cases in the three-year period, followed closely by RML Hospital.

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In his written reply, MoS Jadhav acknowledged that air pollution is a “significant risk factor” for respiratory morbidity and mortality. The ministry cited the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), and the newly launched PRANA portal for real-time monitoring of pollution mitigation measures but admitted that ground-level implementation remains uneven.

Dr Sahney has demanded immediate policy measures, including a dedicated national cohort study on long-term lung damage from chronic pollution exposure, expansion of specialised respiratory clinics in government hospitals, and integration of air-quality forecasting into public health advisories. He also called for subsidised inhalers and nebulisers for low-income families during high-pollution months.

With Delhi’s AQI again hovering in the “severe-plus” category this week and forecasts predicting prolonged smog till mid-January 2026, doctors fear the 2025 winter tally could push the three-year total past 2.75 lakh emergency cases.

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