A health scare in Rajasthan’s Sikar district sent nearly two dozen residents—most of them children—to the hospital after they experienced sudden breathlessness, dizziness and general uneasiness, prompting renewed concern about deteriorating air quality in the area. The incident occurred near the city’s industrial belt, where locals have repeatedly complained about smoke emissions and poor air conditions. Police said initial information suggests the symptoms may have been triggered by fumes from a nearby furnace where discarded clothes were being burned.
Residents living around Lal Bahadur School reported that for several weeks they have experienced ongoing respiratory discomfort, irritation and coughing, which they attribute to rising pollution levels from factories and industrial units in the vicinity. The latest episode, they said, felt like an escalation of a problem that has been intensifying over time.
According to doctors, all patients brought to the hospital are currently stable. Dr Shivpal Singh of SK Hospital told reporters that children first noticed unusual smoke in the area but did not react immediately. It was only when they began developing breathing difficulty, sneezing and a sense of suffocation that they realised something was seriously wrong, prompting their families to rush them for treatment.
Local authorities have begun a preliminary inquiry to determine the exact cause of the pollution spike, and officials are examining emissions from industrial units near the bus depot and adjoining areas. However, a formal confirmation of the source and the level of contamination is still awaited. The incident has renewed calls from residents for stricter monitoring of emissions and more robust enforcement of pollution-control norms in Sikar’s rapidly expanding industrial zone.
