NEW DELHI: Delhi’s air pollution is no longer something people are willing to live with. A survey of 17,000 residents has found that four in 10 would prefer to move out of the city to escape polluted air and its health effects, a new report released on Thursday shows, highlighting how toxic air is disrupting daily life, education, business and the Capital’s future.
The findings are detailed in ‘Countering Delhi NCR Air Pollution & Aligning Solutions: Clean Air as a Right to Life (Article 21)’, released by the Illness to Wellness Foundation with support from the CII–ITC Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development. Drawing on a CII study on air pollution and its impact on businesses (2021), the report says Delhi’s pollution is structural and year-round, not limited to winter smog.
Beyond driving people away, poor air quality is reshaping everyday life. The report notes a drop in footfall across retail, tourism and hospitality, while severe smog suppresses travel and discretionary spending. Schools are forced to shut for 10–15 days annually, disrupting learning and adding pressure on families.
Delhi continues to top global pollution rankings. The report says the Capital remained the world’s most polluted capital in 2023, with Air Quality Index (AQI) levels routinely above 200 through the year and rising to 300–400 in winter. Long-term exposure to fine particulate matter has cut life expectancy in Delhi by an estimated 8.2 years, while increasing risks of heart disease, chronic lung illness and stroke.
Doctors warn that the neurological toll is rising. Dr Daljit Singh, vice chairman and head of neurosurgery and neuro-intervention at Max Smart Super Speciality Hospital, said air pollution has become a major risk factor for stroke, with nearly 17% of cases globally linked to polluted air. He said hospitals are seeing clear spikes in stroke admissions during high-pollution months, and warned of growing links to dementia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
Launching the report, Rajesh Bhushan, former Union health secretary and chairperson of the Illness to Wellness Foundation, said air pollution must be treated as a core public health issue, noting that prolonged exposure not only shortens life but adds years of chronic illness, reducing productivity and quality of life. He stressed the need for coordinated action across healthcare, urban planning and public awareness, with a stronger focus on prevention.
The report underlines that Delhi’s pollution is urban and structural. Source apportionment shows vehicles account for 32% of particulate emissions, followed by construction and road dust (28%), industry (17%), crop residue burning (9%), thermal power plants (8%) and household sources (6%) — emissions that accumulate year-round and overwhelm short-term emergency measures like GRAP.
Pulmonologists say much of the damage remains invisible. Dr G C Khilnani, chairman of pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine at PSRI Hospital, described air pollution as a man-made public health emergency, warning that ultra-fine particles silently damage multiple organs. Real change, he said, will come only when society recognises its role in the crisis.
The economic toll is heavy. Air pollution costs India USD 36.8 billion annually, rising to USD 95 billion — about 3% of GDP — when productivity losses and premature deaths are included. For Delhi alone, a CREA analysis cited in the report estimates losses of Rs 64,250 crore in a single year, or 5.8% of the city’s GDP. Hospitals also face pressure during smog episodes, with respiratory and cardiac OPD visits rising by about 25%.
Drawing lessons from London, Beijing, Paris, Singapore and Dubai, the report says lasting clean-air gains are possible through continuous enforcement, clean mobility and long-term urban planning.
The message is clear: short-term emergency steps are not enough. Delhi’s recovery depends on year-round structural reform and public participation. Clean air, the report stresses, is a basic right — and action cannot wait.