Delhi’s iconic India Gate turned into a smoky silhouette as a viral video captured several joggers exercising despite the capital’s air quality plunging into the “severe” category.
Delhi’s iconic India Gate turned into a smoky silhouette as a viral video captured several joggers exercising despite the capital’s air quality plunging into the “severe” category. The clip, now widely circulated online, shows residents running, stretching, and cycling through a thick shroud of smog, prompting stunned reactions from netizens.
The Capital’s AQI neared ‘severe’ levels at which doctors warn even healthy individuals to stay indoors. Yet, Delhiites seemed determined to keep their fitness routines alive, drawing a mix of shock, sarcasm, and concern across social media.
One user wrote: “Don’t even go outside if the AQI is above 250.”
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Another commented, “Welp, a ton of urbanized India sits in the 200+ AQI range. Sucks to live in India right now—wonder how many respiratory diseases this poor air quality will manifest in the future…”
“Jogging in even mild pollution is stupid beyond belief. Lungs working hard, inhaling crap, vigorously,” wrote a third user.
Others took a more humorous jab at the situation: “No masks? No filters for those masks? What’s the point of jogging if you’re gonna smoke 10 packs of smokes while doing so lol”
“Face mask? You need scuba gear,” quipped another, while one sarcastically applauded the joggers’ endurance, saying: “Hey… you… guys….!!! They’re the filters. 3 more weeks of running should get it down to 100+. They sacrificing themselves, give them some respect.”
Some even joked that smoking might ironically be safer than breathing Delhi’s air: “Smoking here must be good for your health since the cigarette filter probably filters out some of the smog.”
Many viewers were left imagining the toll on their lungs. “Imagine your lungs running in that,” a user commented.
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Delhi AQI today
Delhi woke up to a thick layer of toxic smog, as the air quality in the national capital showed no improvement, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) standing at 397, categorised as ‘very poor’ at 8 am on Friday. The AQI at 7 am was 399, only a point less than touching the ‘severe’ category mark.
Yesterday, the AQI recorded in the national capital at 4 pm was 404, categorised as ‘severe’ air quality.
According to the data of the Central Pollution Control Borad (CPCB), several monitoring stations in the national capital recorded an AQI above than the mark of 400 on Friday.
With air quality in the national capital deteriorating sharply, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has already invoked Stage III curbs under GRAP across the entire National Capital Region, categorising Delhi’s air as the ‘severe’ category.
SC on stubble burning
The Supreme Court directed the governments of Punjab and Haryana to file a status report on the measures taken to curb stubble burning, which contributes to the air pollution crisis in the Delhi-NCR region. A bench of Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran ordered, “We direct the state of Punjab and Haryana to file a report on what steps are being taken to curb stubble burning.”
An advocate in the case told the bench that while the Commission for Air Quality Management (CQAM) has implemented the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) GRAP-III, the situation demanded the implementation of GRAP-IV instead.
GRAP-III entails strict air pollution control measures for “severe” air quality, primarily involving a ban on most non-essential construction and demolition activities, restrictions on certain vehicles (BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers), and a shift to hybrid or online learning for younger students (up to Class 5).
The plan also restricts industrial activity at non-clean fuel facilities and bans non-emergency diesel generator sets.