Gorakhpur: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday likened the air quality in the state capital to a “gas chamber” and said the people of Uttar Pradesh are enjoying a clean environment and are not suffocating despite all the development work.
Addressing an event in Gorakhpur, Adityanath said one of the biggest global challenges today is environmental degradation.
“The environment here is quite good; there is no pollution. Without pollution, there is less disease. Whenever there is pollution, it damages the lungs. If our oxygen supply is compromised, the whole body suffers,” he explained.
Adityanath was speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the renovated Block Development Officer office at Jungle Kauria, Gorakhpur, the UP government said.
Shifting his attention to the air quality in Delhi, he said: “See the situation in Delhi? It feels like a gas chamber. The situation is terrible; breathing is difficult and the eyes are burning. Doctors are advising people suffering from asthma, as well as the elderly and children, to stay at home. What kind of life is this?”
He warned that any disturbance to the environment could lead to similar circumstances. “We are lucky here; we have development without a stifling environment,” Adityanath added.
Air quality in Delhi was recorded in the ‘poor’ category at 9 am on Saturday, with an air quality index (AQI) of 211, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed.
According to the CPCB, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered “good”, 51 to 100 as “satisfactory”, 101 to 200 as “moderate”, 201 to 300 as “poor”, 301 to 400 as “very poor” and 401 to 5.