📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Vivek Sarje
Health
Bhopal's AQI spikes above 400 post-Diwali, respiratory cases rise 20%
✍️ Amar Ujala · Madhya Pradesh
🗓 10 Nov 2026, 05:36 PM
👁 21
After Diwali, Bhopal’s air quality index breached 400, prompting a 20% surge in respiratory patients at Hamidia Hospital, including healthy adults and children with bronchitis.
The air quality index in Bhopal surged past the hazardous mark of 400 in the days following Diwali, according to local monitoring agencies. Such extreme pollution levels are known to aggravate respiratory health across the population.
Dr. Parag Sharma of Hamidia Hospital reported a roughly 20 percent increase in patients presenting with breathing difficulties compared with pre‑festival figures. The rise was observed not only among those with pre‑existing conditions but also among previously healthy individuals.
Pediatric cases of bronchitis have been noted, highlighting the vulnerability of children to the smog. Hospital staff are advising residents to limit outdoor exposure, use masks, and seek medical attention if symptoms develop. The situation underscores the public‑health challenge posed by seasonal air‑quality spikes in central India.
Dr. Parag Sharma of Hamidia Hospital reported a roughly 20 percent increase in patients presenting with breathing difficulties compared with pre‑festival figures. The rise was observed not only among those with pre‑existing conditions but also among previously healthy individuals.
Pediatric cases of bronchitis have been noted, highlighting the vulnerability of children to the smog. Hospital staff are advising residents to limit outdoor exposure, use masks, and seek medical attention if symptoms develop. The situation underscores the public‑health challenge posed by seasonal air‑quality spikes in central India.