Deadly Pollution : may leave Delhi: Niti CEO

New Delhi : As Delhi''s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) hovered above 625, air visibility turned so bad that flights had to be diverted from Delhi airport and the Delhi Government had to order shutting of schools likening it to a public health emergency, a top bureaucrat of Modi government took to Twitter on Sunday to express his wish to dump the city due to pollution and settle in the coastal state of Kerala, down south.

Amitabh Kant, who is the CEO of Niti Aayog and perceived to be close to PM Narendra Modi, took to Twitter to post four serene photos of Kerala with crystal clear skies and lush green landscape, stating: "Away from the hustle, bustle of Delhi in God''s Own Country where I have lived, worked and served the people of the state."

Then came Kant''s bombshell when he added: "this is where I will settle down in life". He added two hashtags - ''Kerala'' and ''pollution Kills''.

3 collapses in Lucknow

Seven-year-old Disha was climbing the stairs in her house in Gomti Nagar, Lucknow, when she suddenly started gasping for breath and collapsed. Her father rushed her to a private hospital where the doctors put her on oxygen.

Sharad Ahirwar, an engineering student in Jankipuram, woke up at midnight on Saturday complaining of breathlessness. He has been admitted to the King George''s Medical University.

Reshu, a migrant labourer, was found lying in an unconscious state on the roadside in Telibagh on Saturday evening and was admitted to a medical facility. He has been put on oxygen after being diagnosed with partial lung collapse.

In all the three cases, the patients belonging to different strata of society are victims of pollution in Lucknow. The state capital is on the verge of collapse with the Air Quality Index (AQI) of Lucknow touching 382 (severe) on Friday and 422 (very severe) on Saturday. The air quality on November 2 was the worst recorded in the past three years and the most polluted day post-monsoon so far.

According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Lucknow''s AQI was in the hazardous category, exposure to which can lead to serious respiratory issues.

The state government has issued directives to various agencies but the impact is yet to be seen. Work on construction sites is continuing and only a few have put up green nets to prevent dust particles.

Sprinkling of water was seen only in some posh colonies and open burning of garbage continues. Dr Rajendra Prasad, a retired professor from the King George''s Medical University (KGMU) and a renowned expert in chest diseases, said that the prevailing pollution levels could prove fatal for those with respiratory disorders and asthma and even have an adverse impact on those who are healthy.