Kashmir's Clean Air Draws Delhiites Seeking Refuge From Toxic Smog

To escape the toxic smog hanging over Delhi-NCR for the past few weeks, many residents from the region are seeking refuge in the cleaner air of the Kashmir Valley.

Every winter, despite colder temperatures up north, many Delhi-NCR residents visit hill stations like Srinagar to escape the pollution back home.

Ram Mehar, a tourist from Gurugram, said, "The Air Quality Index (AQI) there (in Gurugram) has been very high for the past week, and till yesterday, the AQI was extremely high, making it difficult even to breathe. Those using two-wheelers and three-wheelers are more exposed to the polluted air, making the environment particularly harmful for them."

Although the overall air quality in Delhi showed a slight improvement on Friday, with the AQI recorded at 369 at 6 am, several monitoring stations still reported AQI levels above 400, sources confirmed.

Delhi has remained in the 'very poor' category for air pollution throughout November, while last week it was in the 'severe' or 'very severe' zone. This prompted the government to implement stricter pollution control measures under directions from the Supreme Court.

Delhi-NCR residents visiting Srinagar say that while they enjoy spending time in the Kashmir Valley, they would prefer doing so by choice rather than being compelled by the poor air quality in the plains.