E-Paper
Ex-IAS officer who left India slams Delhi's poor AQI: 'I would've had to live and breathe in this mess'
A former IAS officer has sparked an online discussion after criticising Delhi’s worsening air quality and comparing it to his life abroad.
A former IAS officer, now based abroad, has sparked a discussion online after criticising Delhi’s worsening air quality and comparing it to his life overseas. In a post on X, LV Nilesh, who also founded the tech platform CloudGenius.app, said that if he hadn’t left India, he would have had to “live and breathe in this mess otherwise known as the North Block Secretariat.”
The ex-bureaucrat also posted a side-by-side image, one showing Delhi’s smog-filled skyline, and another of himself standing in front of the pristine landscape of Mount Rainier National Park in the US. “Note the stark contrast,” he wrote, highlighting the difference between the hazardous air quality in India’s capital and the unpolluted environment abroad.
His remarks come amid deteriorating air quality index (AQI) in Delhi. On Monday, the national capital recorded an overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of 324 at 6:05 am. On Sunday as well, the national capital’s AQI remained in the ‘very poor’ category, recording an overall AQI of 366. Three monitoring stations also recorded "severe" air quality above 400, as per data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
(Also Read: Delhi founder opens door, indoor AQI spikes from 97 to 500 within a minute: ‘Life has become hell in NCR’)
How did social media react?
Social media users were quick to react to the post, with many users expressing concern over Delhi’s worsening AQI.
“This is becoming shame of india and health emergency for delhites,” one user remarked.
“Probably only country in the world where cities have degraded massively even though other developmental parameters have remained stable or gotten better,” commented another.
Some users, however, accused the former bureaucrat of “abandoning” the system he was once part of.
“You were supposed to be part of the solution,” one user wrote. “Sir. Thought u did ias to protect and serve country,” commented another.
“Kya faida, showing the same country in a bad light which made you capable and gave you responsibility to serve the country. Still trying to justify your decision and get certificate from social media about what a remarkable decision you made,” wrote one user.
Meanwhile, as the national capital remains enveloped in toxic smog, health experts have warned of rising respiratory illnesses and long-term damage. Doctors have also advised Delhiites to leave the city until pollution levels improve.
