80 percent of India's Delhi families have members suffering from air pollution ailments: survey

Vehicles and motorcycles move on a road amid thick smog in New Delhi, India, Nov. 5, 2022. (Xinhua/Javed Dar)

NEW DELHI, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 80 percent of families living in India's Delhi and surrounding areas have someone suffering from air pollution related ailments, a new survey has found.

The findings assume significance in the wake of air pollution touching alarming levels over the past few days, with the air quality index (AQI) crossing into the "severe" category.

A train arrives at a station amid thick smog in New Delhi, India, Nov. 5, 2022. (Xinhua/Javed Dar)

Quoting the survey findings, the "Business Standard" reported on Saturday that four among every five families living in Delhi and nearby areas, often referred to Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR), surveyed have someone experiencing pollution-related ailments.

"Eighteen percent of them have already visited a doctor or a hospital," the survey said.

A total of 19,000 people were covered in the survey conducted by LocalCircles, a community social media platform.

People walk on a railway track amid thick smog in New Delhi, India, Nov. 5, 2022. (Xinhua/Javed Dar)

The responses were sought from residents of Delhi and nearby cities of Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram and Faridabad.

During the survey, it was also found that 80 percent said their members were "facing multiple issues due to the pollution," while seven percent denied having any issue at all due to the pollution.