Health Ministry Report: Is there any connection between AQI and lung disease? Modi government’s answer in Parliament surprised everyone

News India Live, Digital Desk: Health Ministry Report: Nowadays, it has become common to have burning sensation in the eyes and sore throat as soon as you leave the house in the morning. AQI (Air Quality Index) is beyond 400-500 in many cities of the country including Delhi-NCR. Doctors are shouting that this poisonous air is ruining our lungs. But do you know what the government has said on this issue in Parliament? In response to a question during the Winter Session of Parliament (Winter Session 2025), the government said that “There is no concrete data available to establish a direct relationship between high AQI and lung diseases.” You must be a little surprised to hear this, right? Let us understand in simple language why the government said this and what it means. What was asked in the Parliament? Actually, the question was asked in the Lok Sabha whether lung diseases are increasing among people due to increasing pollution and bad air (High AQI) and does the government have the data of deaths related to it? What argument did the government give? Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare (Anupriya Patel) replied that air pollution is harmful for health, there is no denying it. But he said there is no “conclusive data” to prove that pollution alone is causing lung damage or deaths. The government’s argument is that there are many reasons for lung damage: Diet: What a person eats. Habits: Does he smoke? Genetics: Does the disease run in the family? Work: What kind of place he works. Economic condition and stress. The government says that health is a ‘multi-factor’ thing, hence the entire responsibility cannot be put on the air alone. Opinions of doctors and the general public are different. The government’s answer may technically be based on ‘data’, but the ground reality tells something else. When you go to hospitals, the doctors tell that the lungs of people who do not smoke cigarettes are also like those of smokers. Are turning black. Asthma and COPD patients are increasing. The World Health Organization (WHO) also considers pollution as a ‘slow poison’. What should we make of this? In technical language, the government may be right that it is difficult to separate ‘direct data’, but this does not mean that we should be careless. Pollution is a reality and it is affecting our body. You protect yourself. Don’t wait for the data to appear in the government files. Wear a mask. Use air purifiers at home (if possible) or plant trees. Avoid poisonous air outside. Because whatever the data says, the breath is yours! What do you think about this response of the government? Is this true or turning away from ground reality?