Minister says no AQI-lung disease link, doctors and data disagree
- Lata Mishra
- TNNUpdated: Jan 01, 2026, 18:29 IST IST
On December 18, 2025, India’s junior minister for environment and climate change Kirti Vardhan Singh said that there was no conclusive data directly linking lung disease with Air Quality Index (AQI) levels. However, the minister - in his answer to a question in the Rajya Sabha - acknowledged that air pollution is a trigger for respiratory ailments and associated conditions.
The statement came even as the air quality in Delhi outside Parliament was categorised as ‘very poor’ as per official data. The air quality would dip into the ‘severe’ category a week later.
The statement came even as the air quality in Delhi outside Parliament was categorised as ‘very poor’ as per official data. The air quality would dip into the ‘severe’ category a week later.
