NEW DELHI: When he started using an air purifier, Mohit Srivastava hoped it would ease his asthma attacks worsened by Delhi’s smog. Eight years later, he cannot imagine not using it, as air quality in the Indian capital has further deteriorated, pushing residents to rely on machines to breathe indoors.

Delhi has not recorded a single “clean air” day in 2025, with Air Quality Index readings hitting high above the 50 score throughout the year.

On the AQI scale from 0 to 500, good air quality is represented by levels below 50, while levels above 300 are dangerous.

Since Diwali in late October, Delhi’s average AQI has been above 370, or “very poor.” On Nov. 11, it jumped to 428, marking the first “severe” air‑quality day.

On Nov. 24, some parts of the city, including Ashok Vihar in the north and Maidan Garhi in the south, registered AQI levels above 700, or “hazardous,” meaning the air was dangerous for the entire population, not only sensitive groups.

“There is no way out. I feel air purifiers are a must for those who are living in Delhi,” Srivastava, an art director, told Arab News.

“I am asthmatic and as a result my two kids have also got it from me. To protect them from pollution, this is the only option at home.”

Delhi residents have staged at least four protests since last month, demanding government action to address air pollution.

Since Nov. 11, the Delhi capital region has been under the third level of the government’s Graded Response Action Plan, which bans all non-essential construction activities and the plying of diesel vehicles in Delhi.

But protesters say that current measures to address the city’s pollution problem are still inadequate.

“The situation in Delhi is grim and there is no attempt from the government side to recognize the gravity of the situation,” Srivastava said. “What they are doing is patchwork.”

For now, many are turning to air purifiers, trying to at least keep themselves safe at home.

Sunil Kumar, owner of Clean Plus, a supplier of air purifiers, has observed surging demand for the devices.

“Earlier, only the middle class and upper-middle class were buying purifiers. Now people in the lower rung of society, who can’t really afford it, are also spending money on buying air purifiers,” he said.

“Compared to last year, I have already sold double the air purifiers I sold last year. My sales have already crossed 1,500 this year. Some of the orders are still pending because we don’t have enough stock.”

Air purifiers work by drawing in air and passing it through filters that trap pollutants such as dust, pollen, smoke, and fine particulate matter. The cleaned air is then circulated back into the room.

But views vary on how much they help.

Vimlendu Jha, environmentalist and founder of Swechha, a youth-run nongovernmental organization in New Delhi, argues that there is not enough evidence suggesting that air purifiers are indeed effective.

“At most, if it actually does anything, it can only clean a room if it is completely shut and if it runs for several hours,” he said.

“There’s no data to prove that an air purifier is a solution ... At best, it can clean a small bubble of air, but people don’t live in a bubble. Outdoor areas can never be purified by an air purifier.”

People are buying the devices anyway to protect themselves and their families.

“There’s fear, there’s anxiety, and there’s concern and hopelessness,” Jha said. “Most people actually now have given up on the state’s responsibility or action.”

Some have, however, observed improvement.

Esha Agarwal, who has moved to Noida in the capital region from Kolkata, has noticed how her son, husband and mother-in-law have been affected by Delhi’s air. Since they installed a purifier at home, she has seen them falling sick less often.

“We honestly see the difference with the air purifier inside the house. Once you switch on the air purifier at home, it takes a couple of hours, but it is much better and from the health side, things have improved,” she said.

“On the air purifier’s display, they also show the AQI level. Even if it’s not 50, at least it’s not 500, and it is much better than outside.”