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A new AQI.IN report reveals shocking data: breathing Delhi’s air is equivalent to smoking 14 cigarettes every day. With PM2.5 levels hovering around 300 µg/m³, the capital’s air quality is among the worst in India.
Delhi’s Air Most Dangerous in India
New Delhi: The nation's capital, Delhi, is currently grappling with severe air pollution. The toxic smoke in the air is increasingly dangerous for people's health. Despite all efforts, the situation shows no significant improvement. Meanwhile, a new report from AQI.IN has further increased the concerns of Delhiites. According to the report, breathing Delhi's air is equivalent to smoking approximately 14 cigarettes daily. This figure clearly demonstrates the extent of the toxicity in the capital's air.
Data released by AQI.IN indicates that PM2.5 levels in Delhi consistently hover around 300 µg/m³. According to global standards, 22 µg/m³ PM2.5 is considered equivalent to one cigarette. Based on this data, it appears that every Delhi resident inhales the equivalent of 13 to 14 cigarettes' worth of smoke daily, even without smoking a cigarette. This situation is extremely dangerous for health.
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Not just Delhi, many major cities in the country are also grappling with poor air quality. Reports indicate that the average PM2.5 level in Mumbai is 80–90 µg/m³, equivalent to smoking four cigarettes daily. In Bengaluru, the level is 50 µg/m³, equivalent to smoking two to three cigarettes daily. Meanwhile, in Chennai, the PM2.5 level is 40 µg/m³, meaning residents are breathing in about two cigarettes' worth of pollution daily.
The WHO's safe limit is 5 µg/m³, but according to the report, no major city in the country even comes close to this limit. This fact further aggravates India's air pollution crisis.
According to experts, Delhi's air is the worst because several major sources of pollution operate simultaneously. The city boasts millions of vehicles, and smoke from industrial areas also pollutes the atmosphere. In winter, wind direction changes, and lower temperatures trap smoke near the ground. Furthermore, burning of paddy stubble in neighboring states also contributes to a rapid increase in pollution.
Delhi is far from the sea, so it doesn't benefit from sea breezes. In contrast, in coastal cities like Mumbai and Chennai, sea breezes help keep the air clean by dispersing pollutants.
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Long-term exposure to high levels of PM2.5 can be extremely dangerous. These fine particles enter the lungs and bloodstream, increasing the risk of asthma, bronchitis, lung disease, heart attack, stroke, and premature death. An AQI.IN spokesperson says this comparison is not meant to scare people, but to highlight the extent of the toxicity in the air.
The most worrying aspect of the report is that none of the country's major cities even come close to meeting WHO's safe standards. This means that every Indian is breathing some "cigarette-like air" every day. Given the current situation, experts say that immediate and drastic action to address air pollution is the need of the hour.
