A new survey released on Wednesday revealed the alarming impact of deteriorating air quality in Delhi NCR, revealing that 75 per cent of families in the region have at least one member suffering from respiratory ailments such as sore throat or cough.

Conducted by LocalCircles, an online community platform, the survey highlights the severe health implications of rising pollution levels in the capital city where air quality remained in the ‘severe’ category, reported news agency PTI.

Responses were collected from over 21,000 residents across Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Faridabad, and Ghaziabad, with 63 per cent of respondents being men and 37 per cent women. The findings also indicated that 58 per cent of the surveyed families reported experiencing headaches, while half of them had a member grappling with breathing difficulties or asthma.

The survey also claimed that 27 per cent of families have turned to air purifiers as a protective measure, an increase from 18 per cent a month earlier. However, 23 per cent admitted to taking no preventive action, while others focused on boosting their immunity through dietary changes.

“Given that the AQI reached new peaks earlier this week in Delhi NCR and PM2.5 of up to 1500 was reported in parts of Delhi, LocalCircles has conducted a new survey to find out how those residing in Delhi NCR are coping with elevated levels of air pollution, which is being compared to living in a gas chamber,” the survey stated.

This dire situation has pushed families to explore coping mechanisms, even as authorities have imposed tough restrictions under Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) Stage-IV, which prohibits diesel-powered medium and heavy goods vehicles and construction work. Schools have also been shifted to online mode in Delhi and half of government employees have been asked to work from home.

The study also revealed a troubling upward trend in health issues linked to pollution. The percentage of families with at least one sick member climbed from 69 per cent on November 1 to 75 per cent by November 19, reflecting the worsening air quality’s direct effect on public health.