The toxic haze shrouding the Indian capital, Delhi, spares no one, but its children are counting the biggest cost of the city's worsening and recurrent pollution problem.
Nowhere is this more evident than at paediatricians' clinics. The BBC visited one such facility in Noida, near Delhi, on a weekday morning a few days ago.
In a packed waiting hall outside the doctor's consulting room, anxious parents stood in line with children sneezing, coughing, or complaining of breathing difficulties.
Most started falling ill in October when the capital's air quality dipped to hazardous levels, with waiting times for doctor's appointments stretching longer than usual.
Toxic air is a recurring problem in Delhi and across parts of northern India during the winter, attributed to factors like low wind speeds, industrial emissions, vehicle exhaust, dropping temperatures, and seasonal burning of crop stubble in neighbouring states.
Since last month, Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) has hovered between 300 and 400, more than 20 times the recommended limits by the World Health Organization.
This crisis has led to an influx of children into hospitals across the capital, with their health deteriorating due to the unbreathable air.
Dr. Shishir Bhatnagar, a paediatrician at the Noida clinic explains that these hazardous particles can severely affect a child's immune system, with cases of respiratory ailments increasing tenfold during the pollution season.
Emergency measures by the government often include halting construction and banning polluting vehicles, yet these efforts have yielded little success in ameliorating the situation. Panic and anxiety among parents continue to rise.
Khushboo Bharti, a mother, recounts a harrowing night when her daughter Samaira required emergency treatment for pneumonia, a stark reminder of how toxic air impacts children. Similar stories abound, indicating a crisis of confidence among parents regarding their children’s health in Delhi.
For many, the looming question of whether to leave the city for better air quality is becoming pressing, as more families grapple with the consequences of Delhi’s air pollution crisis.
Current measures to protect children include postponing outdoor sports and transitioning primary education to hybrid models. Such solutions, however, leave many economically disadvantaged children at risk and facing ongoing exposure to harmful pollutants.
As Delhi's air quality challenges persist, experts urge parents to keep their children indoors and utilize protective masks during outdoor activities, but the long-term viability of such strategies is uncertain.
