Subhechcha Ganguly 
Former Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) Shesh Paul Vaid has raised alarm over the deteriorating air quality in Delhi, describing his recent 15-day stay in the national capital as a “nightmare for health.”
Taking to social media platform X, Vaid shared that he and his family returned to Jammu with multiple health issues after their visit to Delhi. “My family and I returned to Jammu today after spending 15 days in New Delhi, and we are all in bad shape — severe throat pain, runny noses, and a constant burning sensation, as if we’ve inhaled a thousand cigarettes,” he wrote.
Comparing the city’s toxic air to smoking 1,000 cigarettes, the former DGP expressed deep concern for the well-being of Delhi’s residents, especially children, the elderly, and those with pre-existing respiratory illnesses. “If this is what short-term visitors experience, imagine the suffering of Delhi’s children, the elderly, and those already living with lung disease,” he said.
Vaid termed the worsening air pollution a “humanitarian crisis” and demanded immediate accountability from the Supreme Court, the Union Government, and the Delhi Government. He questioned how long the city would be allowed to “exist as a gas chamber” without urgent intervention.
Since Diwali, Delhi’s air quality has remained in the ‘poor’ to ‘very poor’ category, frequently slipping into ‘severe’ levels. On Sunday, the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 391 at 7 a.m., according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Experts have repeatedly warned that prolonged exposure to such pollution levels poses severe health risks, including respiratory and cardiovascular issues. Vaid’s post adds to the growing chorus of voices demanding strong, coordinated action to combat Delhi’s persistent air quality crisis.
