Is reducing your life as the pollution season descends upon us. So, what’s the best way to cope?
It’s that time of the year again. The papers are full of pictures of paddy fields in Punjab being scorched by farmers, with the smoke wafting over to the national capital. The Delhi government is threatening to implement the odd-even scheme (in which cars with odd number plates ply on one day and those with even on the other) to reduce traffic pollution. And the hapless denizens of the city are rushing to the markets to buy air purifiers for their houses and cars, and masks for their faces when they venture out into the smog.
It’s become an annual ritual now, this kind of thing. The days when the Delhi winter heralded crisp cool days with blazing blue skies and dappled sunshine in which we could all bask, are long over. Now the arrival of winter just heralds a spike in rates of respiratory illnesses, even as we hunker down in our homes, running our air purifiers through the day and anxiously checking the pollution levels on the counter to see if the damn thing is making any difference to the air in the room. Going for a walk or a run is a bad idea, medical experts tell us. And children are especially at risk, with their still underdeveloped lungs unable to cope with the pollutants in the air.
That’s how things stand today. And given the apathy of government agencies it seems unlikely that things will improve. After all, we have been hearing for years now that Punjab farmers will be given a special allowance that will compensate them for not burning their stubble, but using farm equipment to get the fields ready for the second sowing. But even though the sums involved are far from astronomical, neither the state nor the central government seems inclined to dip into its pockets and rustle up the sum.
The Delhi government, to be fair, has undertaken some small steps to reduce air pollution. Industrial units have been asked to relocate or even shut down when the air quality gets very bad. Construction is brought to a halt during the months is which air pollution is at severe levels. And then, as I mentioned before, there is the odd-even scheme, that is pulled out every year around this time.
Does any of this make any difference? Frankly, it’s hard to tell one way or another. Government sources insist that the air quality would be even worse if they did not implement these measures. While sceptics scoff that this is the equivalent of put a band-aid on a gunshot wound and hoping that it will staunch the blood flow.
Which is probably why all those of us who can afford to – both in terms of time and money – to get away from Delhi during this season, are doing just that. Some lucky ones escape to their holiday homes in the mountains or their second homes in some beach destination. Others take off just after Diwali – when the pollution level is at the highest – and spend as much time as they can in such holiday hotspots as Bangkok, Singapore, London, or even nearer home in Kerala or Goa.
But not everyone is fortunate enough to have these escape routes available to them. So what can people who are stuck in Delhi through these months do to deal with the pollution as they go about their daily lives? As someone who has done just that for many years now, here are some suggestions based on my own experiences.
1) Invest in good air purifiers for every room of your house. It will be expensive but well worth it in terms of what you save by way of health care. Remember to vacuum clean them every week (yes, that’s right, every week) and change the filters every year (or even sooner depending on how filthy they get). Keep the doors shut when you are running them, but don’t forget to air out the house once or twice a day or you will be breathing in stale air all day.
2) Plants are the best natural air purifiers. So buy a few pots of spider plant, aloe vera, ficus, bamboo plant (there are many others; Google it before heading out to the nursery) and place them in the rooms in which you spend the most time.
3) If your job allows it, spend as much time indoors as possible. If your boss is willing, then work out of home for at least part of the week, so that your exposure to pollutants is limited. Don’t go for a walk or jog in the park. Head to the gym or just invest in a treadmill/cross trainer at home so that you can work out without venturing out.
4) And most important of all, don’t add to the air pollution. Don’t burst crackers on Diwali. Give your guard a space heater so he doesn’t have to light a little fire to keep him warm during those long winter nights. Use electric heaters rather than ‘sigris’ when you are entertaining. And even if your backyard looks like its crying out for it, don’t light any bonfires (no, not even on Lohri).
When it comes to combatting air pollution, every little bit helps. So do your best to ensure that every breath you take is as healthy as possible.
It’s that time of the year again. The papers are full of pictures of paddy fields in Punjab being scorched by farmers, with the smoke wafting over to the national capital. The Delhi government is threatening to implement the odd-even scheme (in which cars with odd number plates ply on one day and those with even on the other) to reduce traffic pollution. And the hapless denizens of the city are rushing to the markets to buy air purifiers for their houses and cars, and masks for their faces when they venture out into the smog.
It’s become an annual ritual now, this kind of thing. The days when the Delhi winter heralded crisp cool days with blazing blue skies and dappled sunshine in which we could all bask, are long over. Now the arrival of winter just heralds a spike in rates of respiratory illnesses, even as we hunker down in our homes, running our air purifiers through the day and anxiously checking the pollution levels on the counter to see if the damn thing is making any difference to the air in the room. Going for a walk or a run is a bad idea, medical experts tell us. And children are especially at risk, with their still underdeveloped lungs unable to cope with the pollutants in the air.
That’s how things stand today. And given the apathy of government agencies it seems unlikely that things will improve. After all, we have been hearing for years now that Punjab farmers will be given a special allowance that will compensate them for not burning their stubble, but using farm equipment to get the fields ready for the second sowing. But even though the sums involved are far from astronomical, neither the state nor the central government seems inclined to dip into its pockets and rustle up the sum.
The Delhi government, to be fair, has undertaken some small steps to reduce air pollution. Industrial units have been asked to relocate or even shut down when the air quality gets very bad. Construction is brought to a halt during the months is which air pollution is at severe levels. And then, as I mentioned before, there is the odd-even scheme, that is pulled out every year around this time.
Does any of this make any difference? Frankly, it’s hard to tell one way or another. Government sources insist that the air quality would be even worse if they did not implement these measures. While sceptics scoff that this is the equivalent of put a band-aid on a gunshot wound and hoping that it will staunch the blood flow.
Which is probably why all those of us who can afford to – both in terms of time and money – to get away from Delhi during this season, are doing just that. Some lucky ones escape to their holiday homes in the mountains or their second homes in some beach destination. Others take off just after Diwali – when the pollution level is at the highest – and spend as much time as they can in such holiday hotspots as Bangkok, Singapore, London, or even nearer home in Kerala or Goa.
But not everyone is fortunate enough to have these escape routes available to them. So what can people who are stuck in Delhi through these months do to deal with the pollution as they go about their daily lives? As someone who has done just that for many years now, here are some suggestions based on my own experiences.
1) Invest in good air purifiers for every room of your house. It will be expensive but well worth it in terms of what you save by way of health care. Remember to vacuum clean them every week (yes, that’s right, every week) and change the filters every year (or even sooner depending on how filthy they get). Keep the doors shut when you are running them, but don’t forget to air out the house once or twice a day or you will be breathing in stale air all day.
2) Plants are the best natural air purifiers. So buy a few pots of spider plant, aloe vera, ficus, bamboo plant (there are many others; Google it before heading out to the nursery) and place them in the rooms in which you spend the most time.
3) If your job allows it, spend as much time indoors as possible. If your boss is willing, then work out of home for at least part of the week, so that your exposure to pollutants is limited. Don’t go for a walk or jog in the park. Head to the gym or just invest in a treadmill/cross trainer at home so that you can work out without venturing out.
4) And most important of all, don’t add to the air pollution. Don’t burst crackers on Diwali. Give your guard a space heater so he doesn’t have to light a little fire to keep him warm during those long winter nights. Use electric heaters rather than ‘sigris’ when you are entertaining. And even if your backyard looks like its crying out for it, don’t light any bonfires (no, not even on Lohri).
When it comes to combatting air pollution, every little bit helps. So do your best to ensure that every breath you take is as healthy as possible.
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