Long bygone are the days when lyrics-inspiring Dilli Ki Sardi (Delhi winters) would tempt residents to venture out and embark upon their annual picnic to flowery venues like the Lodhi Garden. The winters in Delhi are now synonymous with a not-so-lyrical, three-worded-acronym — Air Quality Index.
It is reported that Delhi is witnessing a sharp surge (30 per cent) in cases of respiratory illnesses like the asthma, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and pneumonia.
With the air quality fluctuating between 'poor' and 'very poor' categories, the national capital is yet to experience the bulk of smoggy onslaught from the fertile plains of the neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana.