An alarming total exceeding two hundred thousand verified cases of acute respiratory illnesses (ARIs) were formally registered across a network of six government-operated hospitals situated within the National Capital Territory of Delhi during the three-year period spanning 2022 and 2024, while the Indian capital grappled intensely with exponentially increasing atmospheric pollution concentrations, as officially disclosed by the central federal government.
The government, in a statement delivered to the parliamentary assembly, further specified that a total exceeding thirty thousand individuals afflicted with various respiratory maladies necessitated in-patient hospitalization across these identified facilities throughout the aforementioned three-year duration.
The presence of toxic atmospheric air represents a chronically recurring and exacerbated environmental challenge afflicting Delhi and its immediate surrounding suburban zones, becoming particularly pronounced during the winter months.
For a continuous period extending over multiple weeks presently, Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) — a key metric which rigorously measures and quantifies various classes of atmospheric contaminants, including PM2.5, a form of microscopic particulate matter capable of severely obstructing the functionality of the pulmonary system — has consistently registered values exceeding twenty times the stipulated maximum threshold formally recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).
There is no discernible singular root cause behind the pervasive environmental problem; rather, it is broadly attributed to a multifaceted composite of contributing elements, such as industrial pollutant discharges, vehicular combustion exhaust emissions, significantly diminishing ambient temperatures, reduced atmospheric wind velocities, and the cyclical seasonal incineration of agricultural crop stubble within adjacent neighboring states.
Delhi's six largest hospital centers documented 67,054 acute respiratory cases throughout the calendar year 2022, followed by 69,293 cases in 2023, and a total of 68,411 cases recorded for the year 2024.
"Initial analysis of the data strongly suggests that the increase observed in atmospheric pollution levels was correlated with a simultaneous increase in the number of patient presentations attending emergency medical rooms. Nevertheless, the intrinsic limitations of this specific study design preclude the definitive confirmation that the observed association is strictly causal in nature," the government formally informed the parliament.
Delhi's aggregate average AQI has surpassed the "severe" classification threshold of 400 on numerous occasions across the preceding decade, most typically during the winter season — concentration levels that possess the capacity to inflict harm even upon clinically healthy individuals and pose gravely serious risks to those currently managing pre-existing medical conditions.
On the morning of Wednesday, Delhi's average AQI was calculated to be approximately 380, according to the data disseminated by the government-supported Safar mobile application.
The BBC organization formally reported last week concerning how numerous hospitals situated in Delhi and its immediate outlying districts are currently experiencing a noticeable influx of pediatric patients who are falling ill directly as a consequence of the toxic air quality.
The Delhi High Court is scheduled to convene a session on Wednesday to address a judicial petition urgently advocating for the implementation of immediate, stringent measures designed to mitigate the hazardous atmospheric pollution.
Over the course of the immediate past several years, India's Supreme Court has also repeatedly vocalized its profound concerns regarding the persistently deteriorating air quality prevalent in Delhi and its surrounding geographical areas.
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