lens culture
The Delhi Smog
Abhishek Dasgupta

The Delhi Smog

On November 5th, 2016, the air quality of New Delhi, India reached to hazardous level, recording average PM2.5 level of over 700 micro-gm/cu.m, which is 28 times above the WHO standards daily average (25 micro-gm/cu.m) for ambient air quality. Along with unusually high figures of PM2.5 and PM10, the air had high amount of carcinogenic Benzene. While the air quality of the city was poor in the previous months as well, the problem was aggravated by burning of crop stubble by farmers of neighboring states, vehicular emission, and bursting of crackers during Diwali celebration. This photo essay is made in New Delhi around that time, and in the subsequent months while the city was gasping for breath. Air pollution is a slow poison, is seldom visible, and is hard to make people aware of it. In this photo essay, I attempt to showcase the environmental crisis which can have potentially dangerous consequences in the long run.

Photos
6
Status
Public
Created
May 24, 2017
Updated
Feb 08, 2022
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Photos (6)

Despite the hazardous level of PM2.5, benzene, etc. there was no dearth of people enjoying on 5th November’16
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Air pollution is seldom visible, and hard to make people aware of it
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Some people bought gas masks to escape the hazardous air
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The street is the home for many, which makes them even more vulnerable to the rising air pollution.
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While the city is building infrastructure at a rapid pace, the issue of air pollution is severe and needs to be addressed.
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Although historically Delhi has poor air quality, the smog in the first week of November’16 was unprecedented. Immediate effect of it is hard to measure; but unless proper action is taken, the inhabitants of the city have a bleak future.
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