Have a look at the Statista graph.
As per the U.S. Environmental Pollution Agency, any PM 2.5 level air quality value above 150 is considered ‘unhealthy‘ for everyone in that area, and any value over 300 is considered ‘hazardous‘.
Out of the 14 days featured in the chart, 7 days were hazardous, 1 day (298) was almost hazardous, and the balance 6 days were unhealthy.
But the story does not end here. These PM 2.5 air quality values were measured in the U.S.Embassy in New Delhi, located in the relatively green diplomatic enclave area of our national capital, called Chanakyapuri, in the affluent/elite Lutyens’ Delhi zone.
What about the 99% of the population of our National Capital Region, who are not lucky enough to live in this zone? Surely, they must be suffering worse air quality!!!
And this is a phenomenon which has been happening every year for the last several years. The politicians blame just each other. Delhi’s current CM Arvind Kejriwal blames the CM’s of neighbouring states Haryana and Punjab. Does he blame the U.P. government also? I am not sure.
THE BLAME GAME MUST END. The Prime Minister’s Office is supposedly looking into this, but are they doing anything? My question for PM Narendra Modi is simple – who will the $5 trillion economy help if people don’t survive?
The Hon’ble Supreme Court of India must take suo motu cognizance of this “murder by pollution”. After all, don’t Milords and their families also suffer?
All the offenders must be punished with a life sentence. Why not? How different is this murder from any other murder?
Only then will we see some action to correct the daylight murder of citizens, including innocent children.