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The onset of winter in North India has once again brought toxic air and alarming pollution levels. Firecracker use during Diwali celebrations, combined with stubble burning across Punjab and Haryana, has blanketed the region in heavy smog. The Air Quality Index (AQI) has deteriorated sharply since late October, painting a grim picture for residents. Amid the worsening air, a couple of viral images from Gurugram have reignited public concern. The photos, showing the city shrouded in a thick haze, left many dismayed not only by the pollution levels but also by how few people were not wearing masks. Sharing the images online, one user wrote, “AQI 400+! Why is no one wearing a mask?” Pollution In Gurugram Shock People The Reddit user wondered why the “educated class of Gurugram” were ignoring the serious matter of pollution escalating beyond normalcy. They claimed to have also seen people going for a morning walk in the parks with little concern over toxic air and called it a big no-no. 400+ AQI ! why is no wearing mask ? byu/National_Werewolf738 ingurgaon “What’s wrong with the educated class of Gurugram? I saw people walking in the park as if it were fresh air,” the user penned as a caption to the post, unveiling immense fog in pictures that were taken on Thursday, October 30, at 8:00 AM near Gurugram’s Sector 54 chowk. Alarm Bells Raised Over Gurugram Locals’ Ignorance The two pictures highlighted what has become an annual ordeal for locals in the northern states of India, who are forced to inhale the toxic air at this time of the year. Beneath the post, alarm bells were raised over the people’s ignorance towards the matter. “Until they get really sick, they won’t use it. Money actually can’t buy brain,” commented an angry individual after the Reddit user’s post on the need to wear a mask. To which, they replied, “It’s pure ignorance. I saw a man out walking with an infant in a pram, and he was not blind.” Someone sarcastically mentioned, “They are trying to adapt under such conditions because in the future AQI will be 2000+” “I just landed in Delhi yesterday and oh my god, the smell of pollution!! I could only see pollution and during the entire ride home my parents kept saying look at the new roads, this that. But all I could see was significantly decreased visibility. I think Gurugram and Delhi people have become immune to it,” said another user. With AQI exceeding the 400 mark, it is important for the authorities to act quickly and for people to be wary and take necessary health precautions, including wearing masks.
