Abstract :
Background: According to a WHO study, 13 of the 20 most-polluted cities in the world are in India, which
is more than half of the world’s most polluted cities. Delhi is at 11th position. Pollution in Delhi hit almost
30 times the WHO safe limit. On 8th Nov 2017, toxic smog enveloped Delhi, which alarmed the Indian
Medical Association (IMA) to declare a public health emergency. They also advised citizens to stay indoors
and schools to be shut. Air Quality Index (AQI) of neighboring Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Noida, and Gurgaon
were also in the emergency category.
Aim: To assess perception on air pollution and the willingness to contribute to control air pollution among
the general population of Delhi.
Methodology: A community-based cross-sectional study, in seven localities of South Delhi district of Delhi
using simple random sampling. 384 adult members (>18 years) residing in the selected households for more
than 6 months and who volunteered for the study were recruited. The sample size was calculated using Epiinfo software version 7.2.2.2 (developed by CDC). A pre-tested semi-structured interviewer-administered
questionnaire was used for data collection. Ethical clearance was obtained from administrative authorities
and institutional ethical committee. Data was analyzed using a SPSS 21.
Results: Among 384 participants, 57.6% believed that the current air quality was worse than it was 5 years
ago. People with high income (31.4%) perceived fewer symptoms due to current air quality. More men (61%)
perceived air quality to be worse, but women perceived symptoms of air pollution more. Less-educated
residents are the targetable population for improving environment. Regarding willingness to contribute
for control of air pollution, all the positive questions received a median score of 4 or 5 (on a Likert scale of
1–5, where 1 is strongly disagree and 5 is strongly agree).
Keyword :
Air Pollution, Perception