New Delhi: The air pollution in Delhi is indeed a major concern. The poor air quality can have serious health impacts, including respiratory problems, heart disease, and increased mortality rates. The worsening air pollution in Delhi-NCR, coupled with stringent restrictions under GRAP-4 (Graded Response Action Plan), has severely impacted businesses, resulting in an estimated loss of Rs 2,500 crore over the past month, according to the Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI).
In a statement, CTI Chairman Brijesh Goyal and President Subhash Khandelwal stated that the ban on commercial and light vehicles, coupled with a sharp decline in the number of vehicles entering Delhi from outside, has severely disrupted trade, industry, and tourism.
Goyal was quoted as saying by news agency ANI, “Retail markets in Delhi are witnessing a slump as the city’s air quality has plunged into the ‘severe’ category. News about pollution, widely disseminated through TV, newspapers, and social media, is deterring people from visiting markets.”
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Before the pollution spike, the CTI claimed that around 3-4 lakh people from NCR visited Delhi daily for shopping. However, this number has now dropped to about 1 lakh. The statement also highlighted that local shoppers are increasingly choosing online shopping over visiting markets, which has worsened the business losses.
The CTI claimed that Delhi’s businesses were incurring daily losses of around Rs 100 crore, and over the past month, these losses had accumulated to an estimated Rs 2,500 crore. “Due to this, Delhi’s businesses are suffering losses of about Rs 100 crore every day. Over the past month, these losses have accumulated to an estimated Rs 2,500 crore,” the statement added.
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Goyal emphasized the negative impact on the wedding and tourism season, pointing out that over 200 events had been postponed. He noted that people from outside Delhi were reluctant to organize events in the city due to the hazardous air quality.
CTI General Secretary Gurmeet Arora and Senior Vice President Deepak Garg pointed out that the ban on construction work has delayed projects and raised concerns over cost escalation. “Workers are also facing significant livelihood challenges,” they added, ANI reported.
With daily losses reaching Rs 100 crore, traders are calling on authorities to urgently tackle the pollution crisis to avert further economic harm.
