10 Effective Ways to Try and Combat the Pollution Problem in Delhi’s Gas Chamber

Pollution has become a raging debate in India's capital, New Delhi. With each passing day, Delhi is becoming a hotbed of pollution and asthma in the recent years. While hundreds and thousands of us are falling sick, encountering breathing problems and diseases, none of us has a way out of it. Each day, Delhi is buried under an opaque, thick cloud of smog, reducing visibility. The quality of air across the national capital is just worsening as we speak, every second, but sadly the government seems unperturbed about it.





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The situation is so alarming that Delhi's AQI (Air Quality Index) stands at 999 (it is clearly higher than that, as AQI cannot measure beyond 999) today, which should be ideally between 50 to 100 for the sake of public health and is clearly hazardous. And as we drag ourselves closer to death, because clearly we are pretty much stuck with the problem, there are a few things that you can do to safeguard yourself.

Using Anti Pollution Masks

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Invest in very good quality pollution masks which have an advanced filter mechanism that can remove particulate matter, like the N95/99 masks. The mask may seem like a temporary solution, with the ever-increasing pollution, but they can be effective. People suffering from respiratory problems can don these masks to combat the heavy smog that is blanketing the capital. Also, try buying masks that are reusable so that you don't have to spend a lot of money on them.

Invest in good quality air purifiers

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Filtering toxic air is the need of the hour, and to make your life easier, buy good quality air purifiers for your home. It is not intelligent enough to think that inside of your home is safe, when the whole city is covered in dense smog. In fact, in the past few years, the sale of air purifiers in Delhi has been growing as much as 50% a year. Air purifiers are pretty effective in removing contaminants from the air, so buy one for your home as soon as possible. There are many good quality purifiers you can find on various online websites and in physical stores. Or you can contact Breathe Easy123; their executives will visit your home and check the pollution levels and install purifiers according to that.

Avoid going outside in the night or early morning

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Suspend all your early morning and late night activities as much as you can, and limit your exposure to the pollutants at this hour. Try to avoid running, jogging, cycling, going to the gym, or any other sports activities during these hours, as it will increase your chances of intaking pollutants from the air. According to the Delhi Pollution Control Committee, that tracks real-time pollution levels, these hours have the highest levels of pollution because the temperature during this time is the lowest.

Stay home when the AQI is high

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It is always best to check the level of AQI in your area before going out. It may seem like a tedious task, but it is an important step if you want to safeguard your loved ones and yourself. There are plenty of apps out there that track real-time pollution levels in your area, so download them or you can just log in to Delhi air pollution: Real-time AQI here.

Increase the greenery

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A little bit of greenery has never hurt anyone, but it is time you start investing in planting trees outside your home. Also, outdoor trees will help in catching big particulate matter. You can also put small pots of plants in your rooms to increase the amount of oxygen, and make indoor air cleaner and fresh. But remember to invest in plants that release oxygen in the night also, like Areca Palm, Neem Tree, Snake Plant, Aloe Vera, Orange plant, Christmas Cactus, Rama Tulsi, and Peepal Tree.

Supplements, cleansing tonics, and treatments

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Increase your intake of Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Beta-carotenes, as it will help increase your immunity. If you are looking for something that is more organic, try taking bio-Tulsi tablets or eating fresh tulsi leaves or ginger tea.

Choosing the metro over cars

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It's always an intelligent decision to choose the metro over cars. With the metro, Delhi has become more well connected and transport is cheaper and easier too. This will not only help in curbing the increasing level of pollution due to cars, but also decrease the problem of traffic. You can also opt for carpool, it is again a cheaper and an environmentally conscious option.

Say no to burning anything in the open

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Always avoid burning anything outside, especially during the night. If you see someone do it, immediately raise an alarm and stop them or report it to the CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board) on their website.

Ventilate your house

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Ventilate your house every day in the afternoon, when the temperature is high and the sun is up. This is the best time during the day as the PM 2.5 levels are the lowest. But that does not mean opening all your windows; instead install trickle vents to purify and cycle the air you breathe indoors. Use exhaust fans which help carry pollutants outside. Also, make it a point to ventilate your kitchen since cooking can be a major source of indoor air pollution, especially if you have a gas stove.



Go for a green vacation

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If none of the options work out for you, then it is time for you to pack your bags and go for a vacation to a much healthier and environmentally safe place. Opt for coastal areas or hilly areas, as there is always plenty of oxygen and fresh and clean air in these areas, because of the mountains and sea.



These solutions may not be applicable for the long run but can become great temporary solutions to combat this critical problem. But it is high time that the government and the citizens of this city start thinking about adopting serious measures. When smokers are only slightly worse off than non-smokers in any part of the world, we really should accept that it is an alarming situation and we are in need of serious long-term solutions.