Delhi-NCR AQI breaches 600-mark as 'annadata' turn 'mrityudata'

New Delhi: Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) are enveloped in a toxic haze, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) surpassing the 600 mark on Monday.

This public health emergency cannot be handled by governments at the Centre or states as they lack courage to upset the annadata turned mrityudata farmers burning their farm residue unabatedly.

Farmers burn crop residue post-harvest to clear fields quickly for the next planting season, leading to a significant increase in particulate matter in the air.

While there has been a public uproar over the stubble burning in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh has been an equally significant contributor and the BJP government in the state is not interested in addressing the issue.

Here is a look at the satellite data across three states:

Farm fire in Punjab

Farm fire in Uttar Pradesh

Farm fire in Haryana

The Delhi government has been claiming that the stubble burning cases have gone down drastically but at the same time, NewsDrum revealed last year that the farmers have been tricking the satellites.

Hence, the numbers in the charts above could be seen as indicators only as the public continues to feel the smell of stubble burning across the NCR, literally.

At the same time, the insensitivity of media and other organisations surpassed all kinds of shamelessness as they continue to deflect attention from the stubble burning.

Such shamelessness was displayed by an agenda peddler former journalist turned YouTuber Ravish Kumar who shared an article by Moneycontrol comparing annual pollution generated by thermal plants with stubble burning.

इन तथ्यों से किसी को मतलब नहीं है। बस टाइम काटना है। इन्हें हर मामले में कोई दूसरा चाहिए। बेस्ट है सबको थाली बजाने में लगा देना चाहिए। ख़ुश भी हो जाएँगे। https://t.co/TKvniMG4nH

— ravish kumar (@ravishndtv) November 18, 2024

The public needs to recognise such thugs often referred to as ‘power brokers’ in their circles.

In all, the public has been left to their own fate to deal with the ongoing health emergency.

The city's hospitals have seen a surge in patients reporting respiratory issues, with doctors warning of the long-term health implications from exposure to such hazardous air quality. 

Schools have been temporarily closed, and outdoor activities have been restricted to protect the vulnerable population from the polluted air.