Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Nov 2: A startling revelation from the latest Global Burden of Disease (GBD) data has once again brought Delhi’s pollution woes into sharp focus. According to figures released by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), one in every seven deaths in the national capital in 2023 was linked to polluted air.
An analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) has found that ambient particulate matter pollution remains Delhi’s biggest killer, accounting for nearly 15% of all deaths — an estimated 17,200 fatalities last year.
“In 2023, 9.4% of Delhi’s total disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) were attributable to particulate pollution — the highest in India. That’s nearly 4.9 lakh years of healthy life lost due to dirty air,” said Manoj Kumar, an analyst at CREA. He warned that unless drastic measures are taken, pollution-related illnesses — including heart disease, lung cancer, stroke, and respiratory infections — will continue to rise.
Following air pollution, the report also identified high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar, high cholesterol, and obesity as other major causes of mortality in the capital.
While medical experts agreed that pollution is a silent killer, they also cautioned against taking the numbers at face value. “There is no doubt that pollution contributes heavily to premature deaths. However, the exact quantum remains debatable as these are model-based estimates,” said Dr Harshal Ramesh Salve, Additional Professor at AIIMS. “Still, the increasing trend clearly shows that urgent, coordinated action is needed across sectors.”
Echoing the concern, Dr Nikhil Modi, Senior Consultant for Respiratory and Critical Care at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, said the estimate that 15% of deaths are linked to pollution is “quite believable.” He added, “Prolonged exposure to polluted air causes chronic diseases that worsen over time. Unless we act swiftly, this toll will only rise further.”
Dr Neetu Jain, Senior Pulmonologist at PSRI Hospital, noted that while air pollution may not appear as a direct cause of death on certificates, its role in worsening heart, lung, and metabolic diseases is well established. “It’s a chronic, invisible stressor,” she explained. “Prolonged inhalation of PM2.5 particles triggers inflammation and oxidative stress, damaging organs over time and increasing premature mortality risks.”
Experts underline that Delhi’s persistently hazardous air quality — especially during winter months — has become a major public health emergency. As pollution continues to choke the capital year after year, the call for urgent intervention grows louder.