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Delhi’s air pollution is very bad. Air pollution is measured using AQI (Air Quality Index). An AQI from 0 to 50 is good, and 51 to 100 is acceptable. When AQI reaches 200, people start to feel uncomfortable. From 300 to 400, there are serious health problems, and 400 to 500 means emergency conditions.

Many people did not expect the AQI to go above 500, but in Delhi it reached 795, and in some areas it even went up to 1700. Because of this pollution, the lungs of children living in Delhi are said to look like the lungs of 40-year-old chain smokers, even though they have never smoked. Studies show that children born in Delhi may lose 8 to 10 years of their life just by breathing this polluted air.

This is not the first time such pollution has happened. Beijing also faced very high pollution levels in 2013, but it improved greatly and had one of its cleanest years in 2024. This shows that if Beijing can reduce pollution, India can do it too.

The main causes of pollution in Delhi are too many vehicles, construction work, stubble burning, and dust. Rich people can protect themselves by using air purifiers, but many people cannot afford them. Delhi needs to act fast to reduce air pollution, or the problem may become even worse.