The national capital region, encompassing Delhi and surrounding areas, is once again experiencing poor air quality after Diwali celebrations.
In 2025 Diwali period, the Supreme Court permitted the limited use of green crackers after several years of restrictions. Officials stated that only certified low-emission fireworks were allowed, but air-quality levels still deteriorated sharply following the Diwali celebrations, with AQI values entering the “very poor” and “severe” categories in many parts of Delhi.
Electronic retailers report a marked increase in demand for air-purifiers as household awareness of air-pollution risk rises. At the same time, the local government’s procurement of air-purifiers for official buildings has been criticised by opposition parties, who say the government has not done enough to protect citizens’ right to clean air.
The local government has approved procurement of air-purifier units for official premises in secretariat and for Chief Minister's residence. For example, a work order showed that 15 “smart” air-purifiers costing ₹5.45 lakh in total were approved for installation in the Secretariat. Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra shared the document from the Public Work Department (PWD) on her X account.
Air purifiers have been installed in various government offices and even featured at high-level meetings attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and CM Rekha Gupta, highlighting how these machines have become a visible part of Delhi’s administrative and political spaces.
Opposition parties, including members of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress, have questioned these expenditures, arguing that public funds are being used to protect offices while citizens continue to breathe hazardous air outdoors. They assert that the right to clean air, recognized as part of the right to life under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, remains unfulfilled for the city’s population.
Government officials, however, maintain that such devices are necessary in confined offices and that broader anti-pollution actions like dust control, vehicular checks, and bans on certain fuels are ongoing.
Doctors from Delhi’s leading hospitals, including AIIMS and LNJP, cautioned that short-term exposure to high PM₂.₅ levels can trigger asthma and bronchitis. Exposure to air pollution poses severe health risks, particularly in urban environments. According to a study in the Indian Journal of Pediatrics, 32.1% of children in Delhi reported respiratory symptoms over a three-month period almost double that of children in rural areas
Research also links pollution exposure to impaired lung growth, reduced cognitive development, and increased risks of asthma and bronchitis among children.
The air quality index (AQI) in the Delhi-NCR area has repeatedly entered “poor” or “very poor” categories. For example, one recent report notes the city recorded an AQI of 354, as stocks of air purifiers rose. A decent Air purifier price goes from Rs. 5000 - 45,000. Not everyone in Delhi can stay indoors and afford an Air Purifier.
Retailers in the region say that queries and purchases of air-purifiers have increased significantly in recent weeks. The surge in demand is interpreted as a response by households trying to reduce exposure to fine particulate matter (PM₂.₅/PM₁₀) and other pollutants indoors.
Children are particularly vulnerable to air-pollution, both because they breathe more air relative to body weight and because their lungs and brains are still developing. 2
Evidence in Delhi shows that about one-third (32.1 %) of children in a cohort study experienced respiratory symptoms (upper or lower-tract) within a three-month period, compared with 18.2 % in a rural control group.
Other studies link pollution exposure to outcomes such as low birth-weight, preterm births, developmental delay, stunted lung growth, and impaired cognitive development.3
For example, a report noted: “the ill-effects of air pollution begin in the mother’s womb … the growing brain and nervous system are especially at risk.”
In adult populations exposed to high ambient pollution, associations have been found between respirable suspended particulate matter (PM₁₀/PM₂.₅) and conditions such as hypertension and other non-respiratory effects.
Reduced lung capacity, increased incidence of chronic bronchitis or asthma, and even lung-cancer risk among non-smokers have been increasingly attributed to prolonged exposure to air pollutants.
The rising rate of air-purifier purchases in Delhi signals public concern and a search for protective action at the household level. However, reliance on purified-indoor air does not substitute for comprehensive measures to reduce outdoor ambient pollution, which affects broad populations and begins in early life.
From a public-health perspective, addressing air-pollution in Delhi must involve:
reducing emissions at source (vehicles, industry, biomass/stubble burning)
improving monitoring and urban-planning controls
ensuring vulnerable populations (children, pregnant women, older adults) receive targeted protection
enhancing public awareness of indoor-vs-outdoor exposure, and the role of interventions such as air-purifiers, masks and ventilation.
Individual action (for those who can afford it) such as using certified HEPA-filter purifiers, limiting outdoor exposure on high-AQI days, and ensuring indoor spaces are well-sealed, can reduce exposure, but broader structural action remains essential.
References
Agarwal, R. Effects of Air Pollution on Health and Its Economic Burden. Current Science 120, no. 4 (2021): 658–668. Accessed October 28, 2025. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3612296/.
Kapoor, Neha, and Rakesh Kumar. Effect of Air Pollution on Children’s Health: Evidence from Delhi, India. Indian Journal of Pediatrics 87, no. 9 (2020): 709–716. Accessed October 28, 2025. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7089414/.
Dey, Sagnik. 2022. “Impact of Air Pollution on Child Health in India and the Way Forward.” Indian Pediatrics 59 (6): 447-450. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13312-022-2532-3. PubMed+1
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