New Delhi: As people in Delhi and its adjoining areas struggle to breathe, as they do every year during this time, environmentalists and citizens are left wondering why the government’s three cloud seeding attempts has failed to induce artificial rain thus far.
As a thick smog settles over Delhi-NCR once again, more than a week after Diwali, former All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Director Dr Randeep Guleria has called air pollution “a silent killer” that is slowly claiming lives not only in the Capital but across the country.
Dr Guleria pointed out the deep and lasting effects of polluted air, saying that the crisis is no longer confined to respiratory disease, it is attacking the entire body, reported India Today.
“Air pollution, especially fine particulate matter like PM2.5 and ultra-fine particles smaller than 0.1 micron, not only reach the lungs they can cross into the bloodstream and travel to all parts of the body. They cause inflammation and narrowing of blood vessels, leading to a higher chance of heart attacks, strokes, and even dementia,” Dr Guleria explained.
“Various organisations, including international ones, now consider air pollution a major risk factor for heart attacks, heart failure, stroke, and even cancer,” he said.
Studies have shown clear links between prolonged exposure to polluted air and neurological diseases like Parkinson’s and dementia.
The numbers are staggering, which show that air pollution is a bigger killer than COVID-19, said the former AIIMS head.
“If you look at global data, around 8.1 million people died in 2024 because of air pollution — more than the number of people who died from COVID-19. It’s a pandemic of deaths, but one that’s silent,” he said.
Dr Guleria compared the air in India to smoking 8 to 10 cigarettes a day, warning that the constant exposure is damaging lung and cardiovascular health at a population level.
He said data from the past decade shows that nearly 70% of days in a year have unsafe air quality, improving only during the monsoon or the lockdown year of 2020.
“Most of the year, we are breathing toxic air… This continuous exposure is leading to chronic inflammation that affects multiple organs — the lungs, heart, brain, and blood vessels,” he said, adding that children and the elderly are more vulnerable.
“When children play outdoors, especially early in the morning or late in the evening, they breathe more rapidly and inhale more pollutants,” Guleria alerted.
What’s the way out
Measures like wearing N95 masks do provide effective protection, but it’s the real challenge lies elsewhere.
“They (N95 masks) act as filters that block particulate matter from entering the lungs. But they must be worn tightly around the nose and mouth — and we must remember they are only a temporary, personal safeguard. The real challenge is to control emissions at the source,” Guleria asserted.
There should not be over-reliance on air purifiers as their benefits are limited. “Most Indians’ homes are not sealed, so polluted air continues to enter. Air purifiers can help to some extent, but their efficacy depends on the room size and device capacity,” he said.
As for interventions like cloud seeding, Dr Guleria said such measures are largely ineffective.
“Cloud seeding depends on multiple factors, including humidity and wind velocity, and it’s only a temporary solution. We need long-term, sustainable measures to bring air pollution down to acceptable levels,” he said.
He is of the belief that India can achieve cleaner air with “strict legislation and enforcement”, as cities like London, Los Angeles and Beijing did.
Dr Guleria called for systemic reform, emphasising the need to cut emissions through urban planning, public transport, and citizen participation.
“We need to promote environmentally friendly vehicles, better public transport, and encourage people to walk or cycle. In many European cities, people cycle to work safely. We can make our cities walkable and cycle-friendly too.”
He also stressed on the importance of managing construction dust and industrial emissions, which are major contributors to India’s poor air quality.
