NEW DELHI: Delhi's severe air pollution, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) soaring above 400, in the 'Severe' category, is apparently forcing its residents to flee the city.
A thick haze of smog has blanketed the capital. Educational institutions, from schools to universities, have been prompted to switch entirely to online mode. Offices, too, have gone remote with employees working from home. But going remote doesn't transport fresh air. The air is so toxic that many families and students are leaving altogether to escape this health-threatening situation.
Sana Hashmi, a resident of Noida, described her family's escape to Kashmir.
“We have come to Kashmir with the family,” she said. “Offices have announced work from home while online classes are being held for the children, so it doesn’t matter where you work from. We just wanted our children to stay away from this toxic weather for a some time. The current AQI in Srinagar is 53, whereas when we left Delhi, the AQI in the capital was 497. We can feel the stark difference.”
The escape is not limited to those who can afford to travel far. Ashvita Kukreja, from Mayur Vihar Phase I, opted for a shorter trip to her mother's home in Champawat, Uttarakhand.
“I brought my children to their Nani’s place,” she stated, adding, “Here the AQI is in the 80s, and I am very relaxed. For the past five years, I have been allergic to this weather and get coughs and colds easily. So, just to avoid all that illness, I preferred coming to my mother’s place so my kids can also rejoice in fresh air for the time being until physical classes resume.”
The situation is so dire that even Delhi University students are reporting leaving the city due to allergies, breathing problems, or a general desire to avoid health issues. Reportedly, many people are condemning the authorities for their apparent failure to guarantee the basic right to clean air.
One of the students who was leaving the city, remarked, “This paints a grim picture of Delhi's ongoing battle with air pollution. If not addressed properly, let's not hope for the possibility where this small number of people forced to leave their homes grows into a mass exodus in the future.”