In the busy city of Mumbai, known for its tall buildings and constant activity, there’s a thick layer of smog in the air. In some parts of the city, the Air Quality Index (AQI) has gone beyond 250, which is considered ‘poor’ according to environmental guidelines. This problem with the air quality has caught the attention of Rohit Sharma, the captain of the Indian cricket team, who is worried about the worsening situation in his hometown.
Before the World Cup 2023 match against Sri Lanka, Rohit Sharma, the Indian cricket team captain, posted a picture of Mumbai on Instagram. The city’s famous buildings were hard to see because of pollution. He wrote, “Mumbai, yeh kya ho gaya,” showing how worried he was. This matches the concerns of Joe Root from England, who also spoke out about the bad air quality during the World Cup games in Mumbai.
Rohit Sharma's Instagram story. pic.twitter.com/jbE786ogEJ
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) October 31, 2023
In the excitement of the tournament, with India winning all six of its matches, the health and well-being of the athletes are becoming a big worry. Poor air quality could affect their performance on the field due to issues like reduced visibility and potential breathing problems.
However, the problems go beyond the cricket field. A legal case called a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed with the Bombay High Court to deal with Mumbai’s air pollution issue. This case points out that more people in Mumbai are getting sick with respiratory problems and calls for an investigation into how the city’s Gardens and Trees Department is working. It also suggests that moving large numbers of trees might help.
Mumbai’s air quality problem is complicated. Natural things play a part, but things people do, like building and construction, make it worse. People are upset with government groups for not doing enough to stop dust from causing pollution, which is a big reason for the city’s bad air quality.
At the same time, Delhi, which is India’s capital, is facing a similar problem. The city’s government is trying to fight pollution caused by vehicles. They’ve stopped diesel buses from other states from coming in and want to completely stop the use of certain types of buses in the National Capital Region (NCR).
But the issue of air pollution in Indian cities, including Mumbai and Delhi, is still a big worry. It doesn’t just affect the health of the people who live there, but it also impacts the health and performance of athletes. To fix this, we need everyone to work together by making sure pollution rules are followed, promoting cleaner ways of getting around, and telling people why having clean air is so important.
As the cricket World Cup continues and the world is watching India, the problem of air pollution is something we can’t ignore. We need to act quickly, not just for the athletes but for everyone who lives in these cities.
