Post-Diwali pollution surge triggers a spike in insurance claims, says Policybazaar

A notable increase in pollution-related insurance claims has been observed in Delhi and other major cities in the days following Diwali. Amit Chhabra, Chief Business Officer at Policy Bazaar said that it is quite unfortunate but what has happened is there is an influx of pollution-related claims coming in the last few days. This trend is not new, as similar patterns have been seen in previous years. The onset of winter and post-festival pollution has led to a spike in health concerns, particularly respiratory and eye issues across age groups.

Speaking to Business Today, Chhabra said the spike in pollution has resulted in two main health impacts. "What is happening is that as the pollution you know sort of settles in to Delhi and other cities. So two things happen: one is there are some health conditions which come up because of that so people find breathing difficult, there is a lot of chest congestion," said Chhabra. Children and young people are facing new health problems, while the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions are experiencing aggravated symptoms.

Those with respiratory illnesses are particularly affected. For example, if you are already an asthma patient, then this pollution is terrible for you.The need for medical intervention, such as breathing support, nebulisation, and hospitalisation has grown during this period. These developments have further strained local healthcare resources, according to Chhabra.

This trend of heightened claims and health issues coincides with the annual rise in pollution levels typical of early November, particularly around Diwali. "These are the two different realities that we have seen in the last few days and the trend has been fairly similar across the years... pre-November and post-November and Diwali just happens to be around that time. We see this pollution becoming very very real and hence the increase in claims as well," said Chhabra.

The recurrence of this pattern suggests an ongoing challenge for insurers and healthcare providers as they respond to pollution-induced health incidents in India's urban centres.