It was the Hindu festival of Diwali last night, and the good citizenry of Delhi (where I live) decided to ignore all the health warnings and advisories, and light crackers and fireworks, & the consequences be damned.
I wrote a blog post about the situation on the ground, post Diwali, in my other blog, christinepemberton.me and several hours later, the situation is still pretty dire.
I have an app that monitors pollution levels, and this has been the situation today, largely thanks to the senseless lighting of firecrackers last night:
11.30am
Hazardous. Great.
2.30pm
No change. Still hazardous:
5pm
Yaay! We’re only unhealthy now, not hazardous. Yaay! Go us!
Seriously, folks, such wanton stupidity.
Everyone in the city is affected by the horrific pollution levels, and I fail to see how anyone in their right mind would do this to themselves and their loved ones.
Delhi isn’t a city known for its civic-mindedness, to put it mildly, so that no-one gives a toss about the rest of the population at large is, sadly, par for the course- but to burn crackers, knowing it will affect your family…I just don’t understand such a stupid, short-sighted mindset.
All of which is to say that Day T-30 of the countdown to my next half-marathon has been completely wasted.
Have hardly been out of the house, and running, or even walking, in this toxic muck is out of the question.
My eyes have been stinging all day.
My breathing has been a bit laboured, and I just hope and pray things will have improved tomorrow, when I have my regular running club meet.
Not a good day.
Not a good day at all.