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The State of Global Air 2025 report warns that India could record more than 2 million deaths linked to toxic air in 2023. PM2.5 concentrations in South Asia are among the highest worldwide, with experts describing it as a deepening environmental and human crisis.
Environmental experts and policy-makers agree that India’s pollution originates from multiple sources, with residential solid-fuel burning contributing about 30% of ambient PM2.5, with the load added from vehicles, coal-fired power plants, industrial emissions and agricultural residue burning.
He said traffic congestion and construction dust in dense cities like Delhi increase the risk.
“Delhi represents the sharp edge of India’s air-pollution emergency,” said Dr Rakesh K Chawla, head of the department of respiratory medicine, sleep and interventional pulmonology at Jaipur Golden Hospital in Rohini.
Every winter, particulate matter levels rise to about 10 times the WHO’s safe limits, he said. “After Diwali and crop-residue burning, the city sits under a blanket of stagnant cold air that traps toxins.”
He said, “This is not just a seasonal inconvenience; it is a persistent assault on the lungs that weakens immunity, worsens asthma and accelerates chronic lung disease. Clean air should be treated as a basic right, not as a luxury dependent on the weather or the wind.”
Dr Chawla said short-term interventions have failed to provide real relief. “From odd-even traffic schemes to cloud-seeding experiments, these are reactive, symbolic measures.” Delhi needs sustained enforcement of emission norms, investment in electric public transport and strict controls on construction and waste burning, he said, adding that without systemic change, the same public-health disaster will be repeated every winter.
Dr Charu Jora Goyal, Nuclear Medicine physician and Founder and CEO of Scan4Health, said that with the onset of winter and festive season, air pollution emerges as one of the most potent carcinogens.
Dr Goyal said, “Long-term exposure to fine particles, especially PM2.5 and PM10, increases the risk of lung cancer even in non-smokers. These pollutants can enter the bloodstream and contribute to cancer of the bladder, breast and other organs.”
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Expressing similar concerns, Dr Mandeep Singh Malhotra, director of surgical oncology at CK Birla Hospital, said, “Air pollution itself is carcinogenic. If a patient with pollution-related cancer lives in a polluted environment, treatment becomes less effective. Pollution increases the incidence of cancer, reduces the effectiveness of treatment, and makes already vulnerable patients more vulnerable.” Apart from cancer, toxic air is also causing breathing problems, eye irritation and increase in allergies.
Aman Puri, founder of Steadfast Nutrition, said ultra-fine particulate pollutants get deposited in the lungs, causing inflammation and limiting oxygen supply. Including antioxidant-rich foods, herbs and spices like basil, turmeric and ginger can help reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, she said.
Dr. Aditya K., Consultant, Jaipur Golden Hospital. “In an already polluted environment, smoking increases the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease many fold,” Chawla said.
“No drug can restore lung function once it is lost. The only effective defense is prevention; quit smoking, limit outdoor exposure during high pollution days and use clean fuels at home. Public awareness, early testing and long-term policy enforcement are the pillars of respiratory protection.”
Dr. Ashish Kumar, Senior Manager, Zone Lifesciences, emphasized that polluted air also worsens the existing condition of patients who are already undergoing treatment. Constant exposure to bad air significantly reduces recovery and oxygen levels.
“Clean air is important for optimal lung function, better treatment response and overall respiratory health,” he said, stressing the need for pollution control and preventive care.