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Delhi Logs 2 Lakh Acute Respiratory Cases in 3 Years; ICMR Links Surge to Toxic Air Pollution
Delhi’s worsening air quality has taken a measurable toll on public health, with six major central government hospitals reporting over 2 lakh acute respiratory illness (ARI) cases in emergency departments between 2022 and 2024. Of the 2,04,758 patients who sought emergency care, 30,420—nearly 15%—required hospital admission, indicating the growing severity of respiratory conditions in the city.
The data was shared by Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Prataprao Jadhav in response to a question by Rajya Sabha MP Dr Vikramjit Singh Sahney.
A year-wise breakdown shows:
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2022: 67,054 emergency visits | 9,874 admissions
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2023: 69,293 emergency visits | 9,727 admissions
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2024: 68,411 emergency visits | 10,819 admissions
While emergency visits saw a marginal decline in 2024, the sharp rise in admissions suggests that patients are arriving with more severe symptoms, consistent with prolonged exposure to Delhi’s toxic air.
The Health Ministry acknowledged that air pollution is a major contributor to respiratory diseases but said that factors like diet, occupation, socio-economic status and immunity also influence vulnerability.
Delhi is monitored under NCDC’s air pollution-related illness surveillance, which includes six sentinel sites in the capital. Digital ARI surveillance was launched nationwide in 2023 via the IHIP platform.
A multi-city ICMR study covering over 33,000 patients found a clear association between spikes in pollution levels and an increase in emergency visits for breathing difficulties, although it stopped short of linking pollution as the sole cause.
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Published: Dec 03, 2025
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