Twenty-two people, including fifteen children, were hospitalised in Rajasthan’s Sikar district after severe air pollution led to widespread breathing difficulties. According to officials, the affected residents and schoolchildren were rushed to local hospitals as the city reported a rise in respiratory complaints.
Sikar Additional District Magistrate Ratan Lal confirmed that the Pollution Control Board had been deployed to investigate. He said the initial inquiry suggests that the pollution spike was caused by the burning of clothes in a nearby furnace. Most of the admitted children are reported to be stable.
As per the Central Pollution Control Board’s bulletin, Sikar’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 172, categorised as ‘Moderate’.
Meanwhile, Delhi and the NCR continued to battle toxic smog despite GRAP-IV restrictions. The capital recorded an average AQI of 381 at 7 am, falling under the ‘very poor’ category. Several areas reported severe pollution, with Bawana hitting an AQI of 435 and Anand Vihar recording 429. NSIT Dwarka reported the lowest AQI at 313.
A dense layer of smog continues to blanket the region, raising urgent public health concerns.
