As toxic smog chokes Delhi, parents report rising health issues among children. Schools tighten safety measures, but experts warn more steps are needed to protect young lungs this winter.
Published: November 10, 2025 4:26 PM IST
As a thick pall of pollution descends over the capital, worried parents are sounding the alarm that their children are bearing the brunt. And while schools are implementing extra precautions, many families say the measures may not be enough.
In neighbourhoods across Delhi, children are increasingly complaining of coughs, sore throats and breathing difficulty, just as the air-quality index slides into “poor” to “very poor” territory. One mother in East Delhi reported, “My eight-year-old says his chest feels tight every time he plays outside now.” With morning smog and dropping temperatures, paediatricians say they are seeing a surge in fall-winter respiratory visits.
Parents say the problem is two-fold: the invisible haze outside, and insufficient ventilation or air-filtering indoors. “We keep the windows closed, but the air still seems heavy,” says a father whose daughter attends a school in South Delhi. Many homes have turned to masks for children stepping out, and indoor air purifiers where affordable.
Schools, for their part, are taking a layered approach. Teachers report increased monitoring of students with asthma or allergies, limiting outdoor recess when the air-quality index exceeds threshold levels, and ensuring indoor air-exchange systems are cleaned more frequently. “We’ve advised staff to keep an eye on children complaining of headaches or fatigue, and to call parents early if needed,” says a principal of a private school in Central Delhi.
Yet some parents remain unconvinced. “Closing the playground is fine, but children still sit in stuffy classrooms and go home tired – that’s not the full picture,” says a mother of a third-grader. Experts endorse that view: they say air purifiers help reduce particulate matter, but they cannot replace fresh air systems and good ventilation. Schools with older buildings or limited budgets may struggle to upgrade.
Meanwhile, some parks and open-spaces lie eerily quiet. Families who once let their children romp in the open now constrain playtime, substituting day-time screen activities. A neighbourhood resident noted, “Our block’s small park, once full of laughter at dusk, sits empty now.”
With winter ahead and Delhi’s ambient air quality forecast to remain grim, health officials are urging caution: children with existing respiratory or cardiac conditions should avoid peak-pollution hours, everyone should maintain good indoor-air hygiene, and schools should prepare for hybrid or alternate-day schedules if outdoor conditions worsen. Parents and educators agree that protecting young lungs has become one of Delhi’s most urgent challenges – and the haze shows no signs of receding.
Also Read:
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: india.com
