Delhi smog tied to cancer risk; leaders urge action

Health authorities now classify outdoor air pollution — especially fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and NO2 — as a Group 1 carcinogen, with studies linking each 10 µg/m3 rise in PM2.5 to an 8–14% increase in lung cancer risk; Delhi’s annual PM2.5 (~90–92 µg/m3) is roughly 18 times the WHO guideline. Hospitals and oncologists in Delhi report rising respiratory illnesses and increased lung-cancer and lung-nodule detections among smokers and never-smokers, including young adults, with caseloads spiking during peak-pollution months. Former AIIMS director Dr Randeep Guleria called air pollution a “silent pandemic,” tied it to an estimated 8.1 million global deaths in 2024 and linked Delhi’s pollution to heart attacks, strokes and dementia, likening daily exposure to smoking 8–10 cigarettes. Delhi’s Air Quality Index has repeatedly been in the ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’ range, with many monitoring stations above 400 and weak winds limiting pollutant dispersion, prompting warnings that vulnerable people should consider leaving the capital. Political leaders led by Congress’s Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta to set aside differences and take immediate, non-partisan action to clear the smog and protect children, seniors and those with respiratory conditions.