Delhi Chokes: AIIMS Top Pulmonologists Sound Emergency Alarm As Citizens Take To Streets In Mass Protests

As thick layers of toxic haze continue to engulf Delhi-NCR, the region’s air pollution crisis has escalated into what doctors describe as a full-blown medical emergency — one that is “creating new patients every day.”

With Air Quality Index (AQI) readings repeatedly breaching the “very poor” and “severe” categories, hospitals are struggling with a surge in pollution-related illnesses. Simultaneously, public frustration has spilled onto the streets as citizens demand urgent government intervention.

Dr. Anant Mohan, Head of Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine at AIIMS, Delhi urged residents to drastically reduce outdoor exposure.

“If you must go out, wear a proper mask,” he advised.

He added that the elderly should avoid morning and evening walks, and children must stay away from outdoor sports and activities until air quality improves.

Doctors across Delhi warn that pollution is now causing multi-system health damage, not merely respiratory discomfort.

Dr. Saurabh Mittal, Assistant Professor, Department of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine said, “Pollution is triggering lung inflammation, swelling the airways and making breathing difficult for people across age groups. We are getting cases of wheezing, persistent cough, chest tightness, and breathlessness.”

Dr. Mohan added, “People who were previously healthy are becoming symptomatic, and those with existing respiratory diseases are getting worse.”

Frequent asthma attacks and severe COPD flare-ups are sending many patients to emergency rooms. Even individuals with previously mild symptoms are facing serious episodes.

The harm extends beyond the lungs. Ultrafine particles enter the bloodstream, increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

“We are now seeing cardiac complications directly linked to pollution exposure,” Dr. Mohan noted.

Dr. Mohan said that even in cases of common viral fever, patients are now taking much longer to recover. Earlier, colds and coughs would get better within two to three days, but now they are taking more than a week. He added that pollution levels have become so hazardous that even patients suffering from ordinary viral infections are taking much longer to heal than before.

Both AIIMS doctors emphasised that pregnant women are showing the most alarming effects. Ultrafine pollutants can cross the placenta, affecting fetal growth.

These effects, he said, can persist for years.

Calling for decisive action, Dr. Mohan said. “Delhi has reached an emergency situation. Short-term measures alone will not help. We need long-term, all-year policies — not three months of panic every winter.”

Dr. Mittal explained that while winter pollution is more visible, Delhi’s air remains unsafe throughout the year.

With falling temperatures, pollutants stay trapped near the ground. Low wind and lack of rainfall prevent dispersal. As a result, winter becomes a choke point — but the underlying pollution remains constant even in summer.

On Tuesday, Delhi recorded an overall AQI of 344, with several stations touching “severe” levels. By evening, CPCB pegged the city’s AQI at 374, firmly in the “very poor” category.

Delhi has remained above 300 AQI for several consecutive days post-Diwali. Hospitals continue to report 20–30 pollution-linked cases daily, including severe breathlessness, asthma attacks, COPD complications, and cardiac emergencies.

As health fears mount, hundreds of citizens — including schoolchildren, college students, parents, and environmental activists — staged mass protests at Jantar Mantar.

Last week, a similar demonstration at India Gate led to several protesters being detained for assembling without permission.

The Supreme Court too has expressed concern, observing that the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) has become a “perennial” stop-gap measure, not a solution. “What works in the short term cannot replace structural change,” the court remarked.

As Dr. Mohan summed up, “We have reached an emergency. Immediate short-term relief is necessary, but without long-term solutions, Delhi’s future generations will pay the price.”

For now, the city continues to wait — for clean air, for accountability, and for action that goes beyond temporary fixes.