Another opponent lurking around at the Arun Jaitely Stadium, apart from the much-expected T20 contest between India and Bangladesh on Sunday, is the smog of Delhi.
When India’s capital and neighboring regions hit the 999 marks on the scale of the Air Quality Index (AQI), Delhi-NCR residents were practically gasping for air.
India’s Supreme Court also declared Delhi’s toxic air a public health emergency, and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal called the city a “gas chamber.”
Indeed, Indian Twitter’s top three hashtags on a lazy Sunday were rather serious: #DelhiAir Emergency, #DelhiPolution, and #DelhiBachao.
Throughout the day, worrying and unflattering photos from the first T20 match venue — Arun Jaitely Stadium (former Feroz Shah Kotla) – between India and Bangladesh’s tourists hit social media, leaving fans severely concerned.
Given the hazardous conditions in Delhi that there is still a match scheduled, left fans baffled. In a cricket-loving country where packed stadiums are witnessed, the attendants, along with the cricket teams, are also at the risk of exposure in the capital city due to toxic pollutants.
Others simply called for abandoning the match.
Saturday’s light showers added to Delhi’s woes as smog turned from bad to worse and the District Cricket Association (DDCA) and groundsmen hoped the thick blanket would subside just in time for the match.
“Contrary to the belief that showers on Saturday would have helped settle things down, today is the worst of the lot. The eyes are hurting and visibility is at an all-time low,” a senior DDCA said.
The official also said in situations like these, they were hopeless and prayed that the match would take place as scheduled at the Arun Jaitely Stadium.
