Three out of every four households in Delhi-NCR are reporting health issues ranging from sore throat, cough, and burning eyes to headaches and disturbed sleep as air pollution levels surged following Diwali, according to a survey by citizen engagement platform LocalCircles.
The survey, based on more than 44,000 responses from residents across Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Faridabad, and Ghaziabad, paints a grim picture of the capital region’s post-festival air quality crisis.
According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), PM2.5 levels spiked to 488 micrograms per cubic metre after Diwali — the highest in five years and more than three times the pre-festival level of 156.6 micrograms per cubic metre. The surge occurred on the night of October 20 and continued into the early hours of October 21, blanketing the region in a thick, toxic haze for days.
The LocalCircles survey found that 42% of households reported one or more members suffering from sore throat or persistent cough, 25% cited symptoms such as burning eyes, headaches, and disturbed sleep, and 17% complained of breathing difficulties or aggravated asthma.
CPCB data showed that Delhi’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 261 (“poor”) on Saturday morning, slightly down from 290 the previous day. However, the Anand Vihar monitoring station continued to record a “severe” AQI of 415, the highest among all locations.
Many residents said they were taking precautionary measures to cope with the worsening air. About 44% said they were reducing outdoor exposure and consuming immunity-boosting foods and drinks, while nearly one-third said they had consulted or planned to consult doctors for pollution-related ailments, the LocalCircles report said.
Health experts warn that current pollution levels are 24 times higher than the World Health Organization’s recommended safe limit for PM2.5 exposure, posing serious risks to children, the elderly, and people with respiratory or heart conditions.
Despite repeated court directives and government advisories, Delhi-NCR continues to face an annual toxic smog crisis driven by firecracker use, stubble burning, vehicular emissions, and stagnant weather conditions.
Environmental activists have renewed calls for urgent and long-term interventions, including curbing industrial emissions, stricter vehicular controls, and better enforcement of firecracker bans, to prevent what has become a predictable public health emergency each winter.
