Delhi’s residents are enduring the harsh reality of severe air pollution as the city’s air quality remains critically poor for the third consecutive day, with an overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of 413. The situation has prompted a stern warning from Dr. Arvind Kumar, a senior lung specialist at Medanta Hospital, who likened the impact of Delhi’s polluted air to smoking 25-30 cigarettes.
Dr. Kumar expressed grave concern about the impact of toxic air on people of all ages, from unborn children to the elderly. He explained, “All age groups are adversely affected by air pollution. You might wonder how an unborn child is affected because that child is not breathing…how the air toxins are reaching the child.” Dr. Kumar clarified that when a pregnant woman breathes in polluted air, the toxins reach her lungs, then pass into her bloodstream, and eventually reach the fetus through the placenta. This can lead to a range of health issues, including premature deliveries.
Additionally, he highlighted the continued risks once the child is born, stating, “When the child is born, they start breathing the same air…Imagine a newborn smoking 25-30 cigarettes on the first day of his or her life. You can imagine what hell will let loose on various organs of their body. They have all sorts of breathing problems.”
Delhi’s air quality crisis has persisted for several days, marked by rapid deterioration in air quality and a thick smog that has reduced visibility across the city, creating a hazardous environment for residents.
As of Saturday, the AQI readings at different locations in Delhi painted a grim picture: 453 at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range and Shadipur, 448 at Anand Vihar, 442 at Wazirpur, 435 at Punjab Bagh, 434 at Bawana, 432 at Okhla, and 431 at R K Puram. The severity of the air quality extended to other parts of the National Capital Region (NCR) as well, with AQI readings of 337 in Ghaziabad, 490 in Greater Noida, 449 in Faridabad, and 392 in Gurugram.
The AQI scale categorizes air quality from good to severe, and Delhi’s current AQI of 413 falls into the severe category, posing serious health risks. With the ongoing air quality crisis, public health concerns continue to grow, prompting calls for immediate and sustained efforts to combat air pollution and safeguard the well-being of Delhi’s residents.
Sources By Agencies