​​​​​​​New Delhi, November 9:Doctors from AIIMS and Apollo Hospitals have raised serious concerns over the worsening air pollution in Delhi, warning that prolonged exposure to toxic air is affecting even healthy individuals, including young people.

Dr Vijay Hadda, Professor in the Department of Pulmonary Medicine and Sleep Disorders at AIIMS, said that green firecrackers reduce emissions by only 30 per cent, while the remaining 70 per cent of gases and particulate matter emissions are comparable to those produced by conventional firecrackers.

Expressing concern over the deteriorating air quality, Hadda said Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI), which earlier remained in three digits, had now crossed into four-digit levels, posing a serious threat to public health.

He warned that continuous exposure to polluted air was making life increasingly difficult for residents of the national capital, as people inhale harmful pollutants with every breath.

Highlighting the growing health impact, Hadda said even otherwise healthy colleagues and young individuals had reported persistent throat irritation and respiratory discomfort. He also noted that several patients who visited hospitals with pollution-related complaints were returning with continuing symptoms.

He said the recurring pollution crisis and prolonged exposure to toxic air could have serious consequences for people's health.

The AIIMS professor also expressed concern over the repeated deterioration in air quality and the lack of clarity in policy implementation, stressing the need for effective and sustained measures to tackle Delhi's pollution crisis.