IPS officer compares Delhi trip to smoking 1,000 cigarettes, reports severe throat pain and burning sensation

Former J&K DGP Shesh Paul Vaid said that a 15-day trip to Delhi left him and his family members with a host of health issues

Former Jammu and Kashmir director general of police Shesh Paul Vaid has said that a 15-day trip to Delhi left him and his family members with a host of health issues — including runny noses and throat pain. In a post shared on the social media platform X, the IPS officer demanded accountability from the central and state governments as well as the Supreme Court for what he described asa “humanitarian crisis”.

A protester shows the present AQI or Air Quality Index during a protest against what they called the government's lack of action to combat air pollution in the capital city New Delhi, India, Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup) (AP)

Since Diwali, the national capital's air quality has been either 'poor' or 'very poor', occasionally worsening to 'severe'. The air quality plunged into the 'severe' category on Sunday, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 391 at 7 am, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

IPS officer’s post on Delhi’s air pollution

“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, running noses, and a constant burning sensation as if we’ve inhaled a thousand cigarettes,” Vaid said.

“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 continued.

He demanded accountability from authorities in the same post, describing Delhi as a “gas chamber”.

“If this humanitarian crisis does not jolt the Supreme Court, the Union Government, and the Delhi Government into immediate action, then what will? Where is the accountability? How long will Delhi be allowed to exist as a gas chamber?” the senior IPS officer asked.