Copyright timesnownews
As Delhi's air turned from "hazardous" to downright unbreathable, residents choking on smog turned to humour to survive the "Great Smoke Season." From online petitions to rename the city's AQI system from SAFAR to SUFFER to full-fledged songs lamenting pollution, social media found relief in memes and mockery. A tweet by user Vivek (@Mallufideintent) went viral this week, proposing a new Indian replacement for the Air Quality Index (AQI) which he suggested should be named the Bharatiya Air Quality Weather Administrative System (BAQWAS). "Under BAQWAS," he wrote, "an AQI of 250 will correspond to 1 on BAQWAS and be categorised as Ati Uttam. AQI of 1000 will correspond to 2 as Param Uttam." The post ended saying, "BAQWAS will peak during Deepavali and restore the pride we lost due to foreign-imposed AQI," before adding that AQI "actually stands for Al Qaeda International." His sarcastic take on Delhi's pollution drew over 800,000 views, with replies appointing him as the "First Director General of BAQWAS." 'Rename Delhi’s AQI Monitor from SAFAR to SUFFER': Netizens 3 Out Of 4 Delhi-NCR Families Suffer Ill-Effects of 'Toxic Air' Behind the memes, however, the situation remains grim. Residents of Delhi are suffering from sore throats, coughs, and burning eyes as air pollution in the city reaches dangerous levels, according to a report by LocalCircles. The survey shows that three out of four households in Delhi-NCR report health problems from the toxic air. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recorded PM2.5 levels at 488 micrograms per cubic metre after Diwali, the highest in five years and more than three times the pre-festival level of 156.6. Pollution peaked during the night of October 20 and the early hours of October 21, according to news agency PTI. The survey, which received over 44,000 responses from Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Faridabad, and Ghaziabad, found that 42% of households reported at least one member suffering from a sore throat or cough. Around 25% said family members experienced burning eyes, headaches, or trouble sleeping, and 17% reported breathing difficulties or worsened asthma. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Delhi and around the world.
