Air pollution: Delhi hospitals saw 200,000 respiratory illness patients in three years

More than 30,000 people with respiratory illnesses had to be hospitalised in Delhi between 2022 and 2024.

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The government said in parliament that more than 30,000 people with respiratory illnesses had to be hospitalised in these three years.

Toxic air is a recurring problem in Delhi and its suburbs, especially during winters.

For weeks now, Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) - which measures different types of pollutants, including PM2.5, a fine particulate matter that can clog lungs - has been more than 20 times the limit recommended by the World Health Organization.

There isn't a single cause behind the problem, but it's attributed to a mix of factors like industrial emissions, vehicle exhaust, dropping temperatures, low wind speeds and the seasonal burning of crop stubble in neighbouring states.