Delhi air quality comes as shocker for Kashmiri girl students

Accustomed to cooler climes and salubrious environment in the Valley, a group of Kashmiri girl students were in for a rude shock when they arrived in Delhi, at a time when the city is grappling with deteriorating air quality.

A group of about 20 students accompanied by two teachers from various schools at Naugaon in Jammu and Kashmir are in national capital for the first time, as part of a national integration tour, organised by the Army.

The students, from classes 7-11 arrived here on Monday and have visited the Red Fort, Rajghat and Connaught Place market in Delhi, and Wednesday interacted with Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat. They will also see the Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah and take a Metro ride before heading to Chandigarh, an official accompanying them said.

When Rawat asked the students, what did they like about Kashmir, many students, replied in unison, "Clean air and water".

Mehak Muskan, a student of Army Goodwill School in Kupwara district, said, "We are all coming to Delhi for the first time. And, the air here is not fit to breath. We are used to clean air, and the poor air is causing trouble to us."
Rawat also, in his address to them, said, "There is no other place like Kashmir when it comes to scenic beauty and a sublime environment. But, terrorism has vitiated the atmosphere."