NEW DELHI: India’s metro cities are witnessing a sharp rise in acute respiratory illness (ARI) cases, with government data indicating a clear association with deteriorating air quality. Delhi alone recorded more than 2 lakh ARI cases between 2022 and 2024, thousands of which required hospitalisation — a surge the health ministry on Tuesday linked to worsening pollution, while noting that the causal pathways remain complex.
Responding to a question by MP Dr Vikramjit Singh Sahney in the Rajya Sabha, minister of state for health Prataprao Jadhav said polluted air is a “triggering factor” for respiratory diseases. He added that air quality in urban centres is being closely tracked through an expanding national surveillance network.
Government data shows that six central hospitals in Delhi reported 67,054 ARI emergency cases in 2022, 69,293 in 2023, and 68,411 in 2024, with admissions rising from 9,878 to 10,819 over the same period.
Similar trends were reported in Chennai and Mumbai, where thousands sought emergency care for breathing difficulties during high-pollution episodes. The ministry noted that the impact of polluted air varies across individuals, depending on factors such as diet, occupation, socio-economic status, immunity, and medical history.
To capture these patterns in real time, the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) now operates more than 230 sentinel surveillance sites across 30 States and UTs. Digital ARI surveillance was also rolled out in August 2023 via the Integrated Health Information Portal.
Adding to the evidence base, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) recently completed a multi-site study across five hospitals, analysing 33,213 emergency patients with respiratory symptoms. The study found a consistent rise in ER visits as pollution levels increased. However, the ministry cautioned that while the association is strong, the findings do not establish direct causation — a pattern that aligns with global research.
