India’s Silent Suffocation: The Harsh Reality of Our Air Quality Crisis
In today's India, simply breathing is equivalent to smoking 2 to 3 cigarettes a day because the air quality is so poor. But how is India fighting this problem, which is becoming increasingly difficult to overcome? The air quality, which we once took for granted, has now become a slow poison for us. When we leave our homes in the morning, we are forced to inhale polluted air, which can lead to many problems, such as lung cancer and throat problems. This is silently damaging our respiratory system, our health, and our future.
Why is air quality in India deteriorating so rapidly? The reason is that we have so many vehicles in India that are 25 or 30 years old, and their engines are in very poor condition. They are emitting huge amounts of carbon dioxide, which is causing very poor air quality and air pollution in our country. Air pollution in India isn't caused by just one factory; it's a combination of multiple factors that are collectively making the air toxic. Factories, power plants, and chemical units in most places don't have any filters installed. Wherever chimneys are used, unlimited smoke is being released, and no one is taking responsibility for it. We are also burning a lot of waste materials, such as plastic, which is contributing significantly to pollution and causing many problems.
Punjab, Haryana, and the Delhi NCR region are a huge area that experiences winter pollution, and these problems always occur during the winter months. Currently, the air quality in Delhi is between 500 and 600 on the AQI scale, which is extremely bad. It's hard to imagine how children and the elderly can live in such a polluted area. Young people might be able to cope, but what about the children and the elderly, especially those with underlying health conditions or lung problems like asthma? How will they manage? Nowadays, everyone is forced to wear masks. Because Delhi is centrally located, all the pollution tends to accumulate there. If you live in Delhi, you'll notice certain problems, such as your eyes burning when you wake up in the morning, a dry throat, an intense urge to drink water, and your face feeling very itchy and dry. All of these are due to the high levels of pollution.
To put it simply, the air quality situation in India is dangerously bad. Every year, multiple cities in India consistently rank among the top 10, top 20, and top 150 most polluted cities in the world. The news regarding the air quality index in Delhi, Ghaziabad, Noida, and Kanpur is also very concerning. We are currently facing one of the worst situations. The government is actively searching for a solution, but in a city with such a large population and so many cars and trucks, and with all the factories located there, it's very difficult to implement everything in just one year. The WHO has also stated that by 2030, the situation will become very bad in terms of air quality. Therefore, the government is gradually introducing new schemes to address the problem.
But I noticed one thing. It's not like this everywhere. For example, if you go to the South, the air quality there is much better. It's excellent because it's near the sea, and wherever there's water nearby, the pollution levels are better. And it's not just because they're near the beaches; the government there is also very efficient and strictly enforces regulations. If your vehicle is more than 30 years old, you have to get it registered; otherwise, you'll face heavy fines and won't be allowed to drive it. Everyone is very actively involved in this, which is why the air quality there is so good. Also, the farmers there don't practice stubble burning or any kind of burning. They have a different procedure, which is why there is virtually no air pollution there today.
Finally, I would say that if we can take small steps to improve our air quality, we should all definitely do so together. For example, we should use public transport whenever possible. We should plant more trees everywhere. We should avoid burning waste; it's better to compost it. We should wear masks so that we don't have problems breathing. Switch to electric vehicles and support clean energy. With all these small steps, we can become a country with very good and clean air quality.
Posted Using INLEO