Delhi smog 2.0: What it feels like to breathe in the 'gas chamber'

Keyvan Khanna (4) is an agitated child. Someone who is a star of outdoor games in his area, Keyvan is under 'house arrest'. Reason? The toddler is just like thousands of kids who are forced to stay indoor, thanks to the deadly smog that returned to Delhi-NCR today.

When Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted that the city 'has become a gas chamber', not many outside the city could understand what it means.

Ask Keyvan, ask those who woke up to 'winter is here' thought, we can tell you that the life in 'gas chamber' is breathless existence.

Last year, when the World Health Organization said the the air quality in the national capital is the worst the world, nothing was done to change that.

This year, though the Supreme Court-led ban on the firecrackers helped us to breathe easy on Diwali, yet lack of a concrete plan means more pictures of masked individuals in front of India Gate and rise and rise in sale of air purifiers.

The morning wore a foggy look and I thought wow, finally winter is here! But the moment I stepped outside, the toxic air filled my lungs and the dark reality of the realm hit me hard. Even at 4 pm, the sun was invisible in the cloak of smog.

The WHO says that breathing Delhi air for a day is equal to smoking 20 cigarettes. By that logic, I have turned a full on smoker today.

Never mind the itchiness in eyes and sore throat, we Delhi-NCR people are a brave lot. While our neighbour Beijing is shutting down factories to curb pollution, I haven't still read any such plan by the Delhi government. Dear authorities, sprinkling water from chopper won't help us.

If the general public is feeling so pathetic, imagine the situation of those with history of asthma or other allergies.

It's a health emergency. We need to do something quick and NOW!