New Delhi: Delhi air pollution has become a global topic of discussion. This year, the day after Diwali, Delhi even achieved the status of the world’s most polluted city with an Air Quality Index (AQI) peaking at 999 against the safety limit of 100 as per the World Health Organisation. According to a recent report, indoor air pollution could be more toxic than the outdoor air pollution which just proves that there is no escaping the pollution if you live in the national capital region.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the overall AQI in the national capital on Thursday was recorded at 228, which falls in the ‘poor’ category. An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’ and 401 and 500 ‘severe’.
As many as 10,000 people a year die prematurely in Delhi as a result of air pollution. But Delhi citizens seem to be dealing with the pollution problem in various stages of emotions – be it anger, disappointment, shock or simply joking it off! Twitter has all these emotions and more.
Also Read: Delhi Based Start-up Has Developed World’s First Helmet With Air Purifier To Combat Pollution
A major chuck of Delhiites are of course angry. Demanding reasons and questioning the government efforts.
@ArvindKejriwal @DelhiPolice @DelhiGovernance what’s the point of ban? No body bother about this. #DiwaliPollutionTracker #DelhiAirPollution #DelhiAir #DelhiSmog pic.twitter.com/eR1fLT7zCp
— piyush kohli (@ThePiyushKohli) November 8, 2018
Let’s address the causes of pollution. The ill conceived #CrackerBan was like putting a cast on the hand when fracture is in the leg . Serves no purpose.
Trust it is clear that #CrackerBan was NEVER about #DelhiAirPollution
Nation wide nonsense courtesy @drharshvardhan pic.twitter.com/ianGfKC489
— #IndiaFirst (@savitha_rao) November 9, 2018
Smoking is injurious to health
In Delhi, BREATHING is injurious to health.#DelhiAirPollution pic.twitter.com/iZlhMqftn2— Sayli D (@DSayli) November 5, 2018
Also Read: Expert Talk: Remember To Consider These Three Things While Buying An Air Pollution Mask
Leave to live!! #DelhiPollution #DelhiAirPollution pic.twitter.com/zhYd0yzXtP
— Prabhash Choudhary (@caprabhash) November 5, 2018
Some are facing health issues and wondering how the pollution problem of the city has escalated into a public health emergency.
Now brainless..tomorrow lungless.#DelhiAirPollution #DelhiPollution
— Shivam Agrawal (@agarawal23) November 7, 2018
Delhi woke up to a blanket of toxic smog. There is an acrid foul smell in the air since morning. You can actually smell and taste the air. Indoor purifiers are blazing red. #DelhiAirPollution pic.twitter.com/pII3N2haV2
— Geetima Das Krishna (@GeetimaK) November 5, 2018
Been using for less than a week. Already blackened by the #airpollution in #NCR
Wear masks, save your lungs.#DelhiAirPollution pic.twitter.com/HCTZwdJVzn— Ankush (@ankushbhat) November 13, 2018
Thank you so much Patparganj for breaking all the records today. Can now safely say that my girl is getting poisoned daily. As a dad feel really helpless! #DelhiAirPollution pic.twitter.com/R8s38JnKRw
— Rajit Rattan (@rajitrattan) November 13, 2018
From city wide air purifiers to water bowl under the vehicles, some have suggested innovative solutions to deal with the issue at hand.
@ArvindKejriwal why don’t delhi buy air purifiers from private companies..cost 1.2 crore for 75000 people..only 432 crore for complete delhi…already invested more than it in last 15 days #DelhiAirPollution
— Rohit Agnihotri (@RohitAg85621911) November 12, 2018
My idea of curbing air pollution. May be it’s totally ridiculous and weird. #DelhiAirPollution @CSEINDIA.
There should be a container filled with water under a vehicle and the emanating smoke should be passed through water to dissolve toxins and leave cleaner smoke.— Rajeev Aggarwal (@Rajeev_yours) November 14, 2018
Also Read: ‘Masking Our Emotions’: Farhan Akhtar & Priyanka Chopra Battle Delhi’s Pollution With Masks
@elonmusk
What you think of building a bigger air purification tool that can be installed on roof tops removing all other constitute & providing pure oxigen or any device that reduce the pollution from vehicle like purify the smoke from cars#DelhiAirPollution #delhismog— ₹ajnish $hukla (@1lot_buyer) November 13, 2018
Let’s pledge to stop combustion in and around Delhi. Burning of stuble/parali, burning of waste , smoke from industries in and around delhi , thermal power plant , wood burning and vehicular emissions are the main source of PM2.5 matter in Delhi and NCR. #DelhiAirPollution
— Ranuj Mahajan (@ranuj8789) November 13, 2018
Some are hopeful and we should be thankful for them. They’re the ones who keep us going after all.
#DelhiAirPollution #DelhiPollution #Delhi
Still have SOME TIME to Save our future and make delhi better place to live. Need to take some serious steps else this Air Will Kill Us… And is doing so..
🙁— Prateek Rusia (@prateek_rusia) November 14, 2018
Finally it is drizzling in Delhi. I hope pollution will come down now and we can breath. #DelhiAirPollution
— Naveen Kapoor (@naveenkapoor1) November 13, 2018
Rain in Delhi brings tomorrow’s hope for low air pollution. #DelhiAirPollution
— Dr. Ravi Tandon (@ravitandon) November 13, 2018
Also Read: Combating Indoor Air Pollution: 5 Plants To Make Your Home Clean And Green
And then comes the tongue in cheek bunch, who resort to humour when the going gets tough.
Delhites during this smog be like –#DelhiAirPollution #DelhiSmog pic.twitter.com/XU1dvCQeL4
— humourist (@humourist2) November 5, 2018
Delhi couples right now #DelhiAirPollution pic.twitter.com/8IuIP4BaIL
— Moody Motu (@MoodyMotu) November 5, 2018
It took me 10 sec to understand which weather symbols is this… #DelhiAirPollution #MiBand3 pic.twitter.com/x93j5z2hjB
— Siddharth Sharma (@Psydharth) November 14, 2018
Kid : Mom i smoked Cigarette.
Le’Delhi Mother : Cigarette hi pee hai na , saans waghera to nhi li…#mom @ArvindKejriwal #DelhiAirPollution #नशे_से_आज़ादी
— Abhijeet jain (@Abi_cii) November 6, 2018
This one translates:
Delhi Kid: Mom, I smoked a cigarette today!
Delhi Mom: Just Cigarette right? Sure you didn’t breathe?
Breathing in Delhi’s air is being said as smoking 40 cigarettes ….
If the properties of Whiskey in the water come here, then Delhi can be considered officially declared as heaven.#DelhiAirPollution pic.twitter.com/phVyjFNsjR— Azhar (@AzharAfridi4) November 5, 2018
Also Read: Delhiites Wake Up To Rain, Pollution Levels Drop Down To ‘Very Poor’
Air pollution is the fourth-largest threat to human health; risks of breathing dirty air include respiratory infections and cardiovascular diseases, stroke, chronic lung disease and lung cancer. According to a WHO study, 9 of the 10 most polluted cities in the world are in India. Some of the factors that are considered to be the sources of air pollution in Delhi include vehicle emission, dust, household and industrial waste burning and agricultural waste burning in the neighbouring states.
NDTV – Dettol Banega Swachh India campaign lends support to the Government of India’s Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM). Helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan, the campaign aims to spread awareness about hygiene and sanitation, the importance of building toilets and making India open defecation free (ODF) by October 2019, a target set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when he launched Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in 2014. Over the years, the campaign has widened its scope to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and menstrual hygiene. The campaign has also focused extensively on marine pollution, clean Ganga Project and rejuvenation of Yamuna, two of India’s major river bodies.
