Agencies
NEW DELHI, Oct 23: The deteriorating air quality in the national capital has triggered a 30-40 per cent surge in respiratory cases, with children and the elderly found to be the most vulnerable.
Health experts have advised people to avoid stepping outside and minimise exposure to dust.
Delhi's air quality has been in the 'poor' category for over a week.
On Wednesday morning, a thick layer of smog enveloped the national capital. At 3 pm, the city's air quality index (AQI) stood at 367 in the 'very poor' category. Several monitoring stations already entered the 'severe' category.
Dr Arunesh Kumar, senior consultant in respiratory medicine at Paras Health in Gurugram, said, "We are seeing a sharp increase in respiratory cases, with hospitals reporting a 30-40 per cent rise. This surge is largely driven by worsening air pollution, with pollutants such as PM2.5, PM10, and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) getting trapped due to colder weather and stagnant air."
PM2.5 refers to fine inhalable particles with diameter of 2.5 micrometres or smaller, while PM10 particles have diameter of 10 micrometres or lesser, both posing serious risk to health.
During the winter months, Delhi experiences severe pollution, driven by a combination of factors, such as low wind speeds, dropping temperatures, high moisture levels and the presence of pollution particles that act as surfaces for condensation.
Anshita Mishra, a resident doctor at Maulana Azad Medical College, said with air pollution beginning to show its impact, patients in the outpatient department (OPD) are reporting complaints such as dry cough and eye irritation. She expected such complaints to rise further after Diwali and the onset of stubble burning. |
