Experts sound red alert as Delhi air turns ‘life-threatening’
NEW DELHI: As the capital wakes up each morning to skies the color of ash and an AQI brushing the ‘severe’ zone, scientists, doctors, parents and protest groups warned that Delhi’s pollution crisis has now crossed into a life-threatening public health emergency. Despite stubble-burning contributing only a fraction this week, emissions from open fires, vehicles, garbage burning, winter inversion and enforcement gaps have pushed the city into a prolonged toxic spiral.
From overwhelmed hospitals to stalled school sports, angry citizen protests and a failing GRAP regime, Delhi’s winter is once again defined by breathlessness, panic and paralysis. Here are ten key takeaways from the worsening crisis:
- Open fires drive majority of Delhi’s toxic load: Delhi’s biggest blind spot remains its open fires—scientific studies show that garbage burning, biomass burning and cooking/heating fires together account for more than half of the city’s PM2.5 and PM10 load, dwarfing stubble-burning’s contribution this week. Mixed municipal waste goes through uncontrolled incineration, releasing carcinogenic dioxins, furans, heavy metals and unburnt carbon, while ash piles and smoke plumes reveal how widespread the practice is in neighborhoods, drains, empty plots and unauthorized colonies.
- Hospitals flag rising respiratory cases, Despite generating over 11,300 MT of waste daily, Delhi’s processing capacity remains stuck near 7,400 MT, leaving thousands of tonnes circulating through an informal chain with a 30% leakage rate. In 1,600 unauthorized settlements with unreliable collection, residents often burn accumulated waste simply to clear living space. Experts say burning acts as a coping mechanism where segregation is poor, landfills are saturated and civic systems cannot keep up.
- GRAP fails as preventive mechanism: GRAP, designed as the capital’s emergency shield, has once again collapsed into a reactive tool—not the preventive mechanism mandated by law. Measures in Stages II–IV are supposed to be invoked three days before a projected spike, but agencies largely wait for AQI to breach danger levels. The Supreme Court has now asked for earlier, stricter triggers, with work-from-home norms, office staggering and diesel genset curbs proposed to be shifted to lower stages.
- AQI approaching ‘severe’: AQI readings remain alarming: 391 on Thursday, 392 on Wednesday, with more than 15 monitoring stations crossing 400. Forecasts suggest a slide into the ‘severe’ zone over the next six days. Wazirpur, Anand Vihar, Bawana, Mundka, Rohini and Jahangirpuri continue to log some of the highest readings. Minimum temperatures around 11–12°C and calm winds are locking pollutants close to the ground.
- Dust & transport emissions spike: Hourly pollution patterns paint an even grimmer picture. For five consecutive years, November’s worst pollution has come between early morning and 9am, while in December, the deadliest window shifts to 9pm–midnight due to strong temperature inversion. Even the “cleaner” afternoon hours show PM2.5 levels 8–10 times higher than WHO limits, indicating how deeply saturated the airshed has become.
- Vehicles emerge as major contributor: While stubble-burning contributed just 2–3% this week, pollution from vehicles surged to 17% on several days, according to the IITM-supported Decision Support System. With diesel trucks entering NCR, lax enforcement of emissions checks, and no strong push for public transport expansion, traffic-related emissions remain one of Delhi’s most stubborn sources.
- Hospitals see more breathlessness cases: Hospitals meanwhile report a spike in respiratory and cardiac emergencies. AIIMS experts describe the situation as “life-threatening,” with children, the elderly and those with chronic lung disease worst hit. Outpatient and emergency rooms are registering higher footfall, with doctors warning of long-term risks like strokes, COPD, birth defects, lung cancer and organ damage.
- Schools hit by disruptions: Schools are reeling under both pollution and policy confusion. Sports tournaments have been postponed after the high court’s intervention, indoor drills have replaced open-ground activities, and younger students are being kept inside classrooms equipped with parent-funded purifiers. Several parents demand a mandatory 10–15 day “pollution break” each winter to avoid daily uncertainty and health risks.
- Citizen protests intensified: Citizen protests have intensified, with groups such as Scientists for Society, Warrior Moms, Disha Students Organization and others gathering at India Gate and Jantar Mantar. Many wore biohazard masks or carried symbolic oxygen cylinders to highlight the city’s suffocating reality. Students and parents accuse the government of responding with “optics, not solutions,” citing cloud seeding and temporary bans while structural fixes remain ignored.
- Experts warn crisis may deepen: Experts across institutions say Delhi’s winter pollution cannot be treated as an isolated city-level phenomenon. Dr Anant Mohan, HOD of pulmonary medicine and sleep disorders, AIIMS, said to news agency ANI “The pollution here is absolutely severe and life-threatening. This situation has been going on for the last ten years. Many are facing life-threatening situations. There’s definitely been an increase in both outpatient and emergency rooms. Many people even have to be put on ventilators… It should be treated like a public health emergency.”
As Delhi stands on the edge of another severe-air weekend, the message from scientists, doctors and citizens is stark: the crisis is no longer about seasonal spikes but systemic failure.
