Air Pollution Crisis: A Silent Killer Exceeding COVID-19 Threat in Delhi

Dr Randeep Guleria warns that air pollution is causing more deaths globally than COVID-19, with rising particulate matter in Delhi worsening respiratory and cardiac health. Urgent action is required as pollution threatens systemic health beyond lungs and heart, linked to diseases like dementia and diabetes.

As Delhi struggles with escalating air pollution levels, Dr. Randeep Guleria, Chairman of Internal Medicine, Respiratory and Sleep Medicine at Medanta and Former Director of AIIMS Delhi, has raised concerns that the health risk posed by air pollution exceeds that of COVID-19. On Wednesday, Dr. Guleria warned that air pollution could potentially lead to more fatalities than the pandemic.

This warning comes as Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) remains in the 'very poor' category, registering at 354, with many areas blanketed by dense smog. Dr. Guleria highlighted that global fatalities due to air pollution in 2021 surpassed COVID-19 deaths, with 8 million lives lost. Despite the attention given to COVID-19, air pollution remains an underappreciated threat.

Dr. Guleria explained that air pollution contributes to inflammation in the lungs and exacerbates respiratory and cardiac issues, resulting in increased hospital admissions and mortality. He emphasized that particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometers can enter the bloodstream, impacting various body organs, and has been linked to long-term conditions such as neurological disorders and diabetes. In light of deteriorating air quality, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has invoked stage two of the anti-pollution plan GRAP in Delhi, urging the public to adopt measures like using public transport and minimizing activities that generate dust.

(With inputs from agencies.)