Delhi’s air quality plunged deeper into the danger zone on Friday, prompting doctors, pollution experts and residents to issue urgent warnings about a crisis that has now begun to severely impact public health across the National Capital Region. With several parts of the city recording air quality in the ‘severe’ category and hospitals reporting a sharp surge in respiratory cases, the situation has been officially described as “life threatening”.
AQI Worsens For Eighth Consecutive Day
Delhi recorded a 24-hour average AQI of 370 at 9 am on Friday, according to data from the Sameer app. This marks the eighth day in a row that the Capital has remained in the ‘very poor’ category. Numbers have steadily climbed through the week, rising from 351 on Monday to 392 by Wednesday, signalling a dangerous trend as winter sets in.
Monitoring stations across the city recorded even worse conditions, with 18 locations including Chandni Chowk, Anand Vihar, Mundka, Bawana, Narela and Wazirpur crossing the 400 mark, placing them firmly in the ‘severe’ range.
Forecast Shows No Relief Ahead
The Ministry of Earth Sciences’ Air Quality Early Warning System has predicted that Delhi’s air quality will enter the ‘severe’ zone and remain between ‘very poor’ and ‘severe’ for at least the next six days. Slow wind speeds, winter inversion and stagnant atmospheric conditions are expected to trap pollutants close to the ground.
What’s Driving Delhi Pollution Spike
The IITM-Decision Support System estimated that vehicular emissions contributed 17.3 percent of Delhi’s PM2.5 levels on Thursday, with stubble burning adding another 2.8 percent. Although these numbers were expected to dip slightly on Friday, experts say seasonal weather patterns will continue to intensify pollution.
Satellite data also detected farm fires across north Indian states 16 in Punjab, 11 in Haryana and 115 in Uttar Pradesh adding to background pollution at a time when dispersion is minimal.
Medical Community Raises Alarm
Doctors across major Delhi hospitals, including AIIMS, reported a noticeable spike in respiratory and pollution-related illnesses. Outpatient and emergency rooms recorded an increase of 10–15 percent in cases involving breathlessness, chronic cough, wheezing, burning eyes and aggravated asthma.
AIIMS pulmonologist Dr Anant Mohan warned that the situation has crossed into “life-threatening territory”, adding that pollution is now affecting not just lungs but also the heart, brain, mental health and even unborn children. He stressed that Delhi cannot continue to view pollution as a seasonal issue, urging long-term solutions rather than short-lived measures like sprinklers and road washing.
Masks and air purifiers, doctors say, can only offer limited protection and cannot compensate for the lack of systemic action.
Majority of Households Affected
A LocalCircles survey revealed that nearly 80 percent of households in Delhi-NCR had at least one member fall ill due to toxic air in the last month. Over one-third of households reported that four or more family members suffered persistent cough, eye irritation, headaches, congestion or worsened asthma.
Judicial Intervention
Taking note of the worsening crisis, the Supreme Court earlier this week urged the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to reconsider school sports events scheduled for November and December, observing that forcing children to train outdoors in such conditions was akin to making them practise in “gas chambers”. The court has also asked states to strictly follow guidelines on stubble burning and enforce mitigation measures more effectively.
Public Anger Rising
With AQI levels hitting hazardous highs, residents have taken to the streets in protest. Demonstrations at India Gate and Jantar Mantar saw parents, students and activists demanding stronger government action and long-term policy changes. Many expressed frustration with what they describe as “year-round political inaction”, adding that seasonal restrictions under the graded response plan (GRAP) punish workers but fail to deliver real improvements.
Despite tightened rules on construction, traffic and industrial emissions, pollution remains stubbornly high, leaving citizens anxious and desperate for a sustained solution.