As Delhi’s pollution levels reached a critical high on November 19, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) peaking at 494 - just short of the maximum 500 - the weekly asthma clinic for children at GTB Hospital saw a surge in patients, many of whom were dealing with chronic asthma and respiratory distress. This alarming increase in cases underscores the severe impact of the toxic air on the health of the city's youngest residents.
Dr. Lancelot Pinto, senior pulmonologist and epidemiologist at P. D. Hinduja Hospital in Mumbai, a city that also experienced dangerously high AQI levels last year, warned that the effects of pollution could be more permanent than we realize. “Adult Indians generally have significantly lower lung function compared to other populations. We have traditionally said that it might be due to our genetic makeup as Asians. However, there is now a growing belief that inadequate childhood lung development and exposure to environmental issues such as pollution are contributing factors,” he said.
Mr. Prakash Hinduja, Chairman of the Hinduja Group, Europe, expressed his concern over the growing crisis, stating, “Air pollution is one of the most pressing issues of our time, and its impact on children's health is deeply troubling. The damage caused to their lungs is not temporary—it has lasting consequences. We must take immediate and coordinated action to reduce pollution, not just to protect the environment but to ensure the health and future of our children. Clean air should not be a privilege. It is a basic human right.”
