As Delhi Chokes, AIIMS Doctor Says Masks Won't Help

The alarming pollution levels in Delhi have left medical experts deeply concerned, with an AIIMS doctor describing the situation - where people are increasingly gasping for clean air - as a "public health emergency". The warning comes at a time when several monitoring stations have recorded "severe" air quality index (AQI) levels, including Wazirpur (578), Knowledge Park-5 in Greater Noida (553). On Wednesday morning, the entire region remained shrouded in a dense layer of smog, signalling an escalation in the capital's long-standing air pollution crisis.

"The pollution here is absolutely severe and life-threatening. This situation has been going on for the last 10 years. We try to do something every time, but in reality, on the ground, I don't see much change. The responsible agencies should take drastic steps over time," said Dr Anant Mohan, head of pulmonary medicine and sleep disorders at AIIMS, Delhi.

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"Not just respiratory, it's now affecting other organs as well. Many people are facing life-threatening situations. There's 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," Dr Mohan said during seminar hosted by AIIMS on 'Combating Air Pollution' on Tuesday.

Toxic air continues to grip Delhi amid spike in farm fires. Over 19,000 farm fires have been mapped in states around Delhi. Take a look:

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Masks and purifiers, Dr Mohan said, offer limited individual protection. "Wearing masks, avoiding outdoor exposure during severe pollution, and using air purifiers are not complete solutions. They only offer limited individual-level protection," the doctor said.

In Delhi, Jahangirpuri recorded an AQI of 442, while Chandni Chowk, Ashok Vihar, DTU and Vivek Vihar reported values between 430 and 440 on Wednesday, according to the CPCB's Sameer app.

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Several other areas, including Sonia Vihar, Rohini, RK Puram, Punjabi Bagh, North Campus, Nehru Nagar, Narela, Mundka, and Anand Vihar, also reported AQI readings above 400, reflecting hazardous conditions across the capital.

The India Meteorological Department has forecast hazy skies for the next 48 hours, offering little immediate relief from the worsening smog.

Under GRAP-3 restrictions, which are already in place in Delhi, several pollution-control steps have been activated, including a ban on construction activities and water spraying on major road stretches.

Schools in Delhi have shifted primary classes to hybrid mode as a precautionary measure amid the persistently dangerous air quality.