Delhi: Air pollution has emerged as India’s most pressing public health emergency since Covid-19, with doctors warning that its long-term impact could overwhelm the healthcare system if immediate action is not taken. Medical experts say a growing number of Indians are living with undetected respiratory and cardiovascular conditions caused by prolonged exposure to toxic air.
Senior physicians of Indian origin working in the United Kingdom have cautioned that millions may already be suffering from airway diseases that remain undiagnosed. According to them, the visible rise in breathing-related complaints represents only a fraction of a much larger, hidden crisis developing quietly across urban and semi-urban populations.
Consultant pulmonologist Dr Manish Gautam, based in Liverpool, said years of sustained pollution exposure have set the stage for what he described as a looming lung health emergency. He stressed that while pollution control measures are essential, they alone will not reverse the damage already done. Instead, he called for large-scale screening, early diagnosis, and structured treatment programmes similar to India’s tuberculosis control model.
Hospitals in Delhi reported a sharp increase in respiratory cases this December, with doctors noting a 20–30 per cent rise in patients, including young adults and first-time sufferers. Health ministry data shared in Parliament also showed that more than two lakh cases of acute respiratory illness were recorded in the capital over the past three years, with tens of thousands requiring hospital care.
Experts also highlighted the connection between polluted air and heart disease. Dr Rajay Narain, an honorary cardiologist at a London hospital, said there is strong scientific evidence linking air pollution to cardiovascular, neurological, and systemic illnesses. He warned that delays in addressing the problem would not only cost lives but also place a heavy economic burden on the country.
Professor Derek Connolly, a cardiologist in Birmingham, pointed out that air pollution poses risks even on days when the air appears relatively clean. Fine particulate matter, he explained, is invisible and often goes unnoticed, yet it contributes to slow, progressive damage to the heart and blood vessels. He added that the recent surge in heart disease cannot be attributed to lifestyle factors alone, noting the rapid increase in emissions from vehicles and aircraft.
Government figures have acknowledged air pollution as a trigger for respiratory ailments, though officials have stated that definitive data directly linking pollution levels to disease outcomes is still lacking. Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari recently noted that road transport accounts for a significant share of Delhi’s pollution and reiterated the need to move away from fossil fuels toward cleaner alternatives such as biofuels.
Global studies underline the scale of the challenge. Research cited by health experts shows that fine particulate pollution contributed to more than 17 lakh deaths in India in 2022. International findings also suggest that stricter vehicle emission standards could prevent millions of deaths and childhood asthma cases worldwide over the coming decades.
Doctors argue that early symptoms — including persistent fatigue, headaches, mild cough, throat irritation and recurring infections — are often dismissed, allowing serious disease to progress unnoticed. They are urging policymakers to treat air pollution as a national health emergency, backed by sustained, science-based strategies to protect future generations.
