'Pollution crisis in Delhi a super collective failure'

As the national capital struggles with the ongoing pollution crisis post-Diwali, Dr Arvind Kumar, chairman of Respiratory Department of Sri Ganga Ram Hospital here, has termed the situation as a 'super collective failure'.

Speaking to ANI, Dr Kumar said: "At this time in the city, not a single person can say that he or she is in a normal and healthy condition. Every person is experiencing irritation in their eyes, soreness in their throats and breathing problems. Everyone is suffering from the consequences of breathing in a gas chamber."

"This crisis is a super collective failure to curb pollution, where each and every one of us is a polluter. The situation has occurred because of our actions, or lack thereof. Everyone knows about the consequences of stubble burning for years, yet we have knowingly allowed it to happen," he added.

Dr Kumar further said that in the ongoing state of panic among Delhiites, the sale of nebulisers, inhalers and medicines have drastically increased. He also commented on the limited efficiency of gas masks, saying that they cause resistance in breathing.

Earlier today, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced that all schools in the national capital will remain closed till November 5, as the air quality in Delhi-NCR dipped further and became hazardous.

People residing in the national capital and its nearby areas such as Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Noida are forced to breath hazardous air as Air Quality Index (AQI) has reached 533, which falls in the severe category, according to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR).

Kejriwal has blamed that the smoke emanating from crop residue burning in Punjab and Haryana is causing pollution in Delhi and has urged the school children to write letters to Punjab and Haryana CMs to take requisite action.