New Delhi, Nov 21 : Delhi’s air quality deteriorated sharply on Friday, with several parts of the capital plunging below the ‘severe’ mark, triggering mounting medical alarms and widespread public concern. Surveys show that nearly 80% of households in Delhi-NCR have had at least one member fall ill due to toxic air in the past month, prompting experts to label the situation a public health emergency.
Doctors warn that the capital’s polluted air is cutting life expectancy, overwhelming hospitals, and causing a steep rise in respiratory and cardiac cases. Many stressed that masks and purifiers provide only limited protection and that Delhi needs sustained, year-round action instead of seasonal fixes.
Top Highlights on the Delhi Air Quality Crisis
1. No relief for residents
Delhi recorded a 24-hour average AQI of 370 at 9 am Friday the eighth straight day in the ‘very poor’ range. The CPCB data shows AQI levels climbing through the week, from 351 on Monday to 392 on Wednesday, signalling a worsening trend.
2. 18 stations slip into ‘Severe’
Over 18 monitoring stations, including Chandni Chowk, Anand Vihar, Mundka, Bawana, DTU and Wazirpur, logged AQI above 400, many consistently touching the 400–450 mark.
3. Forecast: Worse days ahead
The Air Quality Early Warning System predicts that Delhi’s AQI will dip into ‘severe’ and stay between ‘very poor’ and ‘severe’ for the next six days due to stagnant winds and winter inversion.
4. What’s driving the pollution
IITM’s Decision Support System estimated vehicular emissions at 17.3% of PM2.5 on Thursday and stubble burning at 2.8%. These are expected to slightly reduce on Friday but remain significant contributors.
5. Farm fire clusters persist
Satellite data detected farm fires across states on Wednesday 16 in Punjab, 11 in Haryana, and 115 in Uttar Pradesh — levels low but still adding to background pollution under static weather conditions.
6. Doctors raise emergency alarm
AIIMS experts report a 10–15% rise in pollution-linked cases.
Dr Anant Mohan said Delhi’s air is now “absolutely severe and life threatening”, adding that pollution is affecting not just lungs but also the heart, brain, mental health, and unborn children.
Dr Saurabh Mittal stressed: “Delhi makes a huge mistake treating pollution as a November-only issue. The city needs year-round action, not seasonal panic.”
7. Do masks and purifiers help?
Experts say they offer only limited individual protection and cannot replace systemic reforms.
8. 80% of households impacted
A LocalCircles survey reveals:
8 in 10 households reported illness linked to toxic air
36% said four or more members suffered respiratory symptoms
Residents report persistent cough, burning eyes, headaches, and aggravated asthma.
9. Supreme Court intervention
The Supreme Court urged CAQM to reconsider winter sports events in schools, saying making children train outdoors now was akin to “training in gas chambers”. It also demanded stricter adherence to stubble-burning guidelines.
10. Public anger spills onto the streets
Residents, including children, protested at India Gate and Jantar Mantar, accusing governments of year-round inaction. Many said GRAP restrictions hurt workers but failed to curb emissions due to poor enforcement.