Air pollution has emerged as India’s most significant health crisis since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a claim made by senior Indian doctors working in the United Kingdom to news agency PTI. These medical professionals warn of long-term repercussions on public health and the country’s healthcare infrastructure in the coming years.
The doctors emphasized that immediate and decisive action is crucial to prevent the issue from escalating annually. They highlighted that while the increase in heart diseases over the past decade has often been attributed to obesity, toxic emissions from vehicles and aircraft play a substantial role.
Health Experts Raise Alarms
Dr. Manish Gautam, a Consultant Pulmonologist based in Liverpool, England, and a former member of the Indian government’s COVID-19 advisory committee, acknowledged the government’s renewed focus on air pollution as necessary but stated it might be too late. With over two decades of experience in the UK’s National Health Service, Dr. Gautam noted that existing pollution control measures in India are no longer sufficient to contain the problem. He added that millions in North India have already suffered irreversible damage, with current treatments addressing only a fraction of the overall issue.
Dr. Rajay Narayan, a Cardiologist at St. George’s University Hospital in London, affirmed the extensive scientific evidence linking air pollution to cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, and other health conditions. He cautioned that any delay in intervention would lead to increased health and economic burdens. Dr. Narayan pointed out that initial symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, mild coughs, throat irritation, digestive problems, dry eyes, skin rashes, and frequent infections are often overlooked, yet they could signal serious underlying diseases.
Understanding the Invisible Threat
Professor Derek Connolly, a Consultant Cardiologist at Midland Metropolitan University Hospital in Birmingham, explained that fine particulate matter (PM) from pollution poses a risk of heart-related diseases to residents in contaminated cities, even on seemingly clear days. He described heart disease as a gradual process that can suddenly worsen. Since PM is invisible and cannot be easily measured like blood pressure or cholesterol, people frequently underestimate its dangers.
Reports from Delhi hospitals indicated a 20 to 30% surge in respiratory patients during December, including a notable number of young individuals and first-time patients. Medical professionals also suggested that a significant portion of respiratory illnesses continues to be undiagnosed and untreated.
Pollution’s Deadly Impact and Policy Needs
The ‘Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change 2025’ report revealed that over 1.7 million deaths in India in 2022 were attributable to PM2.5 pollution. Out of these, 2.69 lakh fatalities were linked to petrol consumption in road transport. A global study by the International Council on Clean Transportation in May suggested that policies controlling vehicle emissions could prevent 1.9 million deaths worldwide and avert 1.4 million new asthma cases in children by 2040.
On December 23, Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari acknowledged that approximately 40% of Delhi’s pollution originates from the transport sector, a direct consequence of reliance on fossil fuels. He advocated for the adoption of cleaner alternatives and the promotion of biofuels. Conversely, during the winter session of Parliament, the government stated that while air pollution is a known trigger for respiratory ailments, there is no concrete data establishing a direct link between pollution and lung diseases. Health Ministry data presented in Parliament indicated over 200,000 cases of acute respiratory infection in Delhi over the past three years, with around 30,000 patients requiring hospitalization.
Regarding the escalating air pollution in Delhi-NCR, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Suryakant stated during a Supreme Court hearing that the court does not possess a “magic wand” to instantly clear the air, emphasizing that experts and scientists are best equipped to find solutions for the multifaceted issue.
