OUT OF BREATH: DUST, POLLUTION LEAVE DELHIITES GASPING
With the worsening air quality this season, wheezing and coughing have become familiar sounds in the Capital
I suffered from headaches and dizziness whenever I stepped out. PARIDHI BALIYAN, Associate consultant in data migration
I’ve had to wear a mask even indoors... and struggle with singing. SUMIT PRATIHAST, Singer
Deteriorating air quality has been a cause of grave concern in the Capital. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), average air quality index (AQI) in Delhi was 256 last month, which is the worst in April since 2016. Additionally, April had 29 “poor” air quality days — the highest in the month since 2015 — since the CPCB started maintaining AQI data. The face masks (thanks to the pandemic), the dust and the pollution are all reminiscent of the post-Diwali haze Delhiites suffer every year — just not during this season.
“Most years, around this time, I’d catch a cold due to the changing weather. But after suffering from Covid-19 last year, the cold I caught this time was rather severe. I’m sure that the poor air quality only made it worse,” says Sumit Pratihast, 31, lead vocalist of a pop-rock band. He adds: “On my worst days, I have had to wear a mask even indoors because the air conditioning makes the nasal passage so dry that it starts to hurt again. Being a vocalist, I have had to really struggle with singing.”
Such is the story of almost every other Delhiite — sneezing, coughing or wheezing through their days. And some, who visited the Capital recently, have similar tales to share. Take for instance,
Mayank Laleria, a Chinese language associate at a private company, who says, “I came to Delhi from Dehradun for my cousin’s wedding reception. The heat, along with the pollution, have made it hard for me to enjoy anything. I just can’t afford to take off the face mask when outdoors. Even indoors, it’s hard to breathe without an air purifier.”
For Paridhi Baliyan, 24, an associate consultant in data migration from Meerut, Delhi felt much more polluted and hotter during her recent visit. “I suffered from headaches and dizziness whenever I stepped out. It was exactly like the ad that shows a pipe placed on the head and the sun draining all your energy! Dilliwale pata nahi kaise rehte hain itne pollution mein!”
Also feeling the dip in air quality is Kumari Priya, 25, a third-year student of Chinese language at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). She shares, “Air is so bad this year that I can’t go out without my mask on, and even that doesn’t help much. Thank God our campus is covered and has plenty of greenery. In my hostel room, I’ve kept plants, which keep the air clean naturally. It feels like Diwali wala time abhi aa gya hai.”