Gasping for breath !
Did I ever imagine, a day would come in my lifetime when I wouldn’t see the sky ?

I grew up listening to my granny telling me bedtime stories, sleeping on our terrace, watching the stars in the sky in this very same city.
Today we are gasping for breath !!
What has changed over the years ? It has been so gradual, that now when I look back, I know that we should have as a nation, paid heed to these changes and fixed them there and then.
I remember a childhood, where it was safe for children to go out and play by themselves in neighbourhood parks. We, at every given opportunity ran out to play, and our mom would have to plead and implore us siblings, to return before darkness descended.
Today, there are special broadcasts on national tv, radio, imploring people to stay indoors as much as possible with doors and windows shut. Schools have been closed, as the air is hazardous and children are being distributed masks as a safeguard, against deadly PM 2.5 being inhaled and getting lodged in their lungs, subsequently enter their bloodstream, causing lifelong health problems.
I remember, at the age of nine taking public transport, along with my friend to school daily. The bus stop was near my house and there was no fear that two young girls were taking a public bus to school. People were kind, always gave up their seats for us and we never felt unsafe or threatened.
By the time I was in college, my city Delhi had begun to change. Bus stops were crowded, girls were stared at, and one felt a little intimidated if there were a group of boys on the bus. College specials were safer and were our preference to public transport.
As a child, I grew up feeling privileged, as my parents had a Hilman car, they brought back from London, at the end of their posting. It was a prized family possession, and my father and brothers would religiously wash the car every weekend. There was no worry then about wasting water and water scarcity.
Family outings were restricted to weekends, and the roads of Delhi were relatively uncrowded. In the 70’s the cars were few, and time taken to cover distances so much lesser.
Pollution, air or noise, was unheard of !!
What has changed over the years in Delhi? There are many more people, it is now one of the most densely populated capitals of the world. A lot of rural migrant workers, came seeking jobs and eventually moved lock, stock and barrel to the capital, as there were more job opportunities than in their villages.
A number of unauthorised colonies came up, there was a surge of consumption on power, water and general resources. Traffic increased manifold and crime too.
The city has grown in all directions. Some planned, and some unplanned. The Metro is finally functional and extensively used by Delhiites. However, roads were dug up, and during the construction phase life was chaotic, adding to chaos on roads. Delhi became a very dusty city.
With heavy traffic, came the need to build, rebuild, modify flyovers time and again. There was no long term vision or planning… and a flyover would be built and few years later, found inadequate for the volume of traffic and rebuilt adding to chaos and disruption.
The skyline of Delhi has changed drastically. Today single storey houses have been replaced by taller four storey buildings. As cost of living went up, expenses increased, and people began building floors and rented them out to supplement their income.
Rebuilding meant adding to dust and pollution. The plot that previously housed a single family now houses 4 families. It is not uncommon to see eight to ten cars parked outside these houses.
More affordability, affluence has increased traffic on the roads. Today people are used to traffic jams and waiting for long hours on roads. Unfortunately this is now a norm and there is no fix to the situation as everyone has given up !!
Traffic, construction, population increase, industries coming up just about anywhere, political apathy and lack of civic sense is the reason why Delhi is in such a mess.
We as a community have a very “chalta hai”, attitude. So many times stuck for endless time in a traffic jam I wish to do something.
Who do I reach out to ?
Why do people in authority not try and experience what a common man goes through ? Once I saw an assistance number put up on a board, so I tried calling to apprise them of the traffic jam, but alas nobody responded on the number.
Traffic policeman are rarely seen controlling traffic, only trying to fine erring two wheelers and people with no voice. Not that I grudge that, but why don’t the same rules apply to everyone ?
A few lives in India do not matter. We have a population of 1.3 billion and hence leaders we elect to power give very little credence to the voice of the minority.
So many false promises of good governance and then what happens to these same politicians when they come to power? They do not think that the air becoming unbreathable; is more important than vote banks and party issues ?
Politicians blame each other, not willing to take the onus or try and come up with long term strategies to clean the air for successive generations.
Is not a situation like we faced this last week of bad air a national emergency ?

The entire north India, couldn’t breathe and instead of finding long term solutions, we come up with knee jerk temporary reactions and pray that the weather changes. And if there is political will things do happen… fortunately for our politicians the weather Gods have taken pity on the plight of our children and the poor. Today fortunately, we move from critical to a severe zone and surprisingly feel a sense of relief.
To me, personally, clean air is our fundamental right and politicians fundamental duty to ensure that the citizens are not denied this. This should be priority number one, instead of bickering and passing the buck, they should sit together and involve people with knowledge and expertise, in finding long term solutions.
We know that this spurt of pollution post Diwali, is due to farmers burning stubble. This happens every year. Yet year after year, its reoccurrence shows how little significance this problem is given. Farmers, need to be consulted and allowed to clear their fields in September.

All good things come to an end and post October festivities, North India wakes up with a start to a near disaster situation !!
Is this good governance?
Do we not deserve better than this ?
We enjoy the best weather in Delhi during November. This is the time when tourists come to India in big numbers. We definitely don’t want to scare them away with the alarming data, that even international media is flashing about Delhi, our capital, topping the list of most polluted cities in the world.
If this is not a wake up call for all stake holders, what is ?
We as a nation, have to unite and think of ways in which we can work to ensure that next year, we do not face the same disaster. We owe it our children and their children.
Despite it all, Delhi is still my home and the city that I am deeply indebted to, for all the lovely years spent here.

We all need to wake up and smell the coffee… let not people desert the capital for want of fresh air.
I do pray and hope that our kids will be able to look up at blue skies and count the stars at night the way I did, and love Delhi the way I still do.
