As residents of the nation’s capital wake up to another day under a blanket of smog, India’s chess grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi has expressed what many in Delhi have quietly felt — that the city’s aviation crisis is normalizing.
In a sharply worded post on X, Gujrathi questioned the lack of urgency about Delhi’s deteriorating air quality, warning that long-term exposure to such pollution effectively harms people in slow motion. “We’re slowly being poisoned and no one cares? Shouldn’t that be a top priority?” he wrote
Along with the message, the 30-year-old shared a screenshot of the air quality dashboard showing Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) touching a dangerous 598 – a level considered dangerous even for short-term exposure.
The post hit the internet and quickly drew reactions from users who reflected his concern, anger and exhaustion. While some thanked him for speaking out, others expressed cynicism, pointing out that warnings and outrage surface every winter, only to fade away without lasting solutions.
One user wrote, “It’s sad that even a few areas of Bangalore have more than 200 in AQI.”
Another user commented, “Bro it will take atleast 3 to 4 years to solve this problem. So even if govt does something it will take some time to show the result irl. After all 25 years mistakes can’t be solved in 1 month. Delhi AQI started deteriorating since 2001.”
“Delhi’s AQI reaching over 700 dangerous levels when breathing fresh air is now basically a luxury holiday… It’s like the government has put us first in the ‘World’s Slowest and Most Expensive Suicide Method’ competition… and we still proudly take the gold every winter,” wrote a third user.
The criticism comes as pollution levels in the capital remain firmly in the danger zone. Data from the Central Pollution Control Board showed Delhi’s AQI at 9 am on Saturday at 376, putting it in the “very poor” category. This marked a further drop from the 24-hour average AQI of 354 recorded on Friday afternoon.
Authorities also warned of the possibility of even worse conditions. According to the latest Air Quality Early Warning System bulletin, Delhi’s air is expected to slip into the “non-severe” category over the weekend, before improving marginally to “very poor” early next week. However, the outlook for the next six days offers little relief.
Delhi’s air pollution crisis sparks public outrage, political battles and emergency measures every winter. Gujrathi’s post again underscored a recurring question — whether concern alone will suffice, or whether sustained action will ever match the scale of the problem facing millions of people living in the capital.
