Delhi pollution: Loni residents live with toxic dust

Residents of Loni, on the outskirts of India's capital, described living with toxic dust and fumes in one of the Delhi metropolitan region's most polluted urban areas.

Swiss monitoring firm IQAir ranked Loni among the world's 20 most polluted urban areas in an annual assessment. Over the year, Loni recorded average PM2.5 concentrations of 112.5 micrograms per cubic metre, more than 22 times the World Health Organization's recommended annual limit of five micrograms.

PM2.5 particles can penetrate deep into the lungs, and some can enter the bloodstream. Long-term exposure increases the risk of lung cancer and heart disease.

Loni, with more than 700,000 people according to census figures cited in the item, is a dense industrial hub with factories involved in e-waste processing, textile dyeing, plastic recycling and metalworking. Government air-quality inspections in August found widespread non-compliance with environmental rules, including factories operating furnaces fuelled by wood and coal.

Residents said dust quickly returns after water-sprinkler trucks pass through the area. Kanwar Singh, a 55-year-old cigarette seller with respiratory problems, said bad pollution days force him indoors and stop him from earning.

An analysis by the Finland-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air found that air pollution was linked to an estimated 17,188 deaths in Delhi in 2023, nearly 15 percent of the total.