No conclusive link between AQI levels and lung diseases, Centre tells Rajya Sabha

New Delhi: The Centre told the Rajya Sabha that no conclusive data established a direct AQI lung disease link, Minister of State for Environment and Climate Change Kirti Vardhan Singh said on Thursday.

Responding to questions in the House, Singh said air pollution acted as a triggering factor for respiratory ailments and related conditions. However, he maintained that the government had no evidence proving a direct causal relationship.

The Minister replied to a question on whether prolonged exposure to hazardous air quality in Delhi and the National Capital Region had caused irreversible lung damage. He said health outcomes linked to pollution reflected a combination of diet, occupation, medical history, immunity and heredity.

In response to a related query, Singh reiterated that no conclusive data existed to establish deaths caused exclusively by air pollution. He said health impacts usually resulted from multiple contributing factors rather than a single cause.

Centre explains position on AQI lung disease in Parliament

During his reply, the Minister outlined steps taken to address air pollution. He cited the establishment of the Commission for Air Quality Management in 2020 and said it had issued 95 statutory directions to curb pollution in the region.

The issue drew attention as members flagged rising respiratory illnesses in polluted cities. Medical experts have relied on associative studies to assess such risks, since air pollution effects often emerge gradually.

Earlier Indian studies comparing urban and cleaner rural regions showed higher respiratory problems among children exposed to polluted air. Officials said such findings did not amount to conclusive proof of direct causation.