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New Delhi/NCR:
A thick blanket of smog has engulfed the Delhi National Capital Region (NCR), triggering widespread alarm as residents struggle with dangerously poor air quality that is affecting daily life and health, especially for young children. In a viral social media video, a parent shared how their child is being confined indoors near an air purifier because the toxic haze outside has made even short trips outside risky, highlighting growing fears over the health impact of the polluted winter air.
The air quality across Delhi and adjoining areas has plunged to “very poor” and in places “severe” levels, according to regional air quality monitors, forcing people to stay inside and rely on air filtration devices to reduce exposure to the hazardous atmosphere. Residents have reported almost zero visibility in many neighbourhoods, where smog has turned once clear skylines into thick, choking haze.
Families with young children are among the hardest hit. Parents who previously allowed their kids to play outdoors now find themselves keeping them inside all day, often only walking from room to room beside hums of air purifiers to try and manage the pollution indoors. This lifestyle shift, shared in multiple viral videos and posts, reflects the pervasive anxiety about what long-term exposure might mean for child health, particularly for lungs that are still developing. Experts caution that children breathe more air per body weight than adults, making them especially vulnerable during high pollution episodes.
The worsening smog is attributed to a combination of factors typical for the season, including cooler temperatures that trap pollutants close to the ground, ongoing vehicle emissions, industrial activity, and crop residue burning in surrounding regions. These conditions have repeatedly pushed the Air Quality Index (AQI) into categories that health authorities classify as unsafe for sensitive groups and even healthy individuals.
Hospitals in the NCR are reporting an increase in respiratory complaints, with doctors noting more cases of coughing, breathlessness, aggravated asthma and eye irritation in both adults and children. Many residents are now equipping their homes with high-grade air purifiers and wearing protective masks outdoors as the crisis deepens.
Public reaction online underscores the severity of the situation. Parents express frustration at having to restrict their children’s play and education to indoor spaces, while others debate the urgency of long-term environmental action to combat what many describe as an annual health emergency. The collective concern brought by social media has given rise to calls for more aggressive pollution control policies and greater community awareness. As the smog persists, authorities are expected to consider stricter air pollution measures and advisories to protect public health. For now, families in the Delhi NCR region continue to adjust to a new norm, one where staying indoors with air filtration systems is becoming not just common but necessary for survival.
