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VOL. 8, ISSUE 2 (2026)
Environmental degradation and public health crisis in Delhi NCR: A longitudinal multi-domain assessment (1997–2024)
Authors
Yatendra Pratap Singh, Upendra Kumar Yadav, Dilip Kumar Burnwal
Abstract
Delhi National Capital Region (NCR), with its population of more than
30 million, is one of the most environmentally stressed Urban Agglomerations in
the world. This complex study covers a multi-dimensional environmental impact
assessment using monitoring data available over nearly 30 years (1997–2024),
includes a health burden assessment, creates a pollutant trend analysis and
predictive pollutant modelling scenarios until 2040, and offers evidence-based
policy recommendations. The study assesses the temporal trends over six
criteria air pollutants (SO₂, NO₂, PM₁₀, PM₂.₅, CO and O₃), water quality
parameters of the Yamuna river (DO, BOD, COD and TSS), noise pollution levels,
solid waste management capacity gaps and socio-cultural pollution drivers,
drawing upon data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi
Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), Delhi Jal Board (DJB), the Global Burden of
Disease (GBD) Study 2019, IQ Air monitoring networks, US Embassy PM₂.₅ data,
and Delhi Statistical Handbook 2025. The results indicate that the concentration
of PM₂.₅, although slightly decreasing from 153 µg/m³ in 2010 to 99 µg/m³ in
2019, has rebounded to about 110 µg/m³ in 2024, which is still 2.75 times
higher than the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) and 22 times
higher than the WHO guideline. Pollution load in the Delhi section of the
Yamuna River (48 km) is estimated to be about 79% of the total pollution load
in the river, and dissolved oxygen drops to 0.0 mg/L in some sections of the
river, which makes it an ecological dead zone. The municipal solid waste
generation has risen from 5,000 TPD (2000) to 13,000 TPD (2024), and there is
an ongoing treatment gap of around 4,000 TPD, which piles up in unlicensed dump
sites at a height of 65 metres. The three scenarios were simulated: in the first,
referred to as the Business-As-Usual (BAU) scenario, PM₂.₅ levels could reach
170 µg/m³ by 2040 with more than 14,000 deaths per year from respiratory
causes; the second, the Moderate Intervention scenario, leads to compliance
with the NAAQS by 2038; and the third, the Aggressive Intervention scenario
(which includes comprehensive implementation of the NCAP targets), towards
NAAQS compliance by 2032 and a reduction in respiratory mortality by 38%. The
study also reveals that any religious festival practices, rural-urban
migration, and modern lifestyle have a significant contribution in aggravating
environmental degradation, in addition to socio-cultural factors. On the basis
of these findings, an integrated policy framework is proposed in this article
for sustainable environmental management in the city of Delhi with a 10-point
agenda.
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Pages:24-32
How to cite this article:
Yatendra Pratap Singh, Upendra Kumar Yadav, Dilip Kumar Burnwal "Environmental degradation and public health crisis in Delhi NCR: A longitudinal multi-domain assessment (1997–2024)". International Journal of Environmental and Ecology Research, Vol 8, Issue 2, 2026, Pages 24-32
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