Delhiites choke in 'severe' air quality; 4 in 5 families complain of itchy, watery eyes

Amid rising levels of pollution in the national capital and adjoining areas, Delhiites woke up to a thick blanket of smog as the air quality continued to be in the 'severe' category.

A survey conducted by a community social media platform has found that four in five families in the Delhi-NCR region have someone facing one or more ailments due to contaminated air.

The survey conducted by LocalCircles stated that 91 per cent of the residents of Delhi believe authorities were completely or partially ineffective in enforcing the ban on transportation, distribution and sale of crackers this Diwali.

Over 34,000 responses were received from residents of Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Ghaziabad and Faridabad for the survey, a statement said.

Out of the respondents, 66 per cent were men and 34 per cent women, it said.

In the survey, the respondents were asked the kind of ailments faced by them since the last week as the Delhi-NCR's air quality turned severe.

“In response, 16 per cent respondents said they were experiencing sore throat or cough or both, another 16 per cent said runny nose, congestion or burning eyes, while 16 per cent said they were facing breathing difficulty,” it said.

Only 20 per cent of the respondents experienced “no impact” of the polluted environment. On an aggregate basis, four in five families in Delhi-NCR are now experiencing one or more ailments due to polluted air, the statement said.

There were 24 per cent people who experienced all the above mentioned issues, while eight per cent experienced at least two of the symptoms.

As many as 22 per cent of the respondents said they or someone in their family have already visited doctors or hospitals regarding air pollution-related ailments.

Meanwhile, nearly 28 per cent families in Delhi-NCR plan to use air purifiers and 61 per cent anti-pollution masks to cope with the current situation.

With agency inputs