AQI / 700

The Air Quality Index in Noida touching 700 is not just a statistic — it’s a warning bell. The air has turned toxic; breathing feels like punishment. Children cough through sleepless nights, hooked to nebulizers, their fragile lungs paying the price for our “development.” We’ve mistaken luxury for progress — bigger homes, fancier cars, endless sosha on social media. Our values are degrading; we chase appearances, not substance. In trying to outshine each other, we have darkened the very sky above us. We flaunt what destroys us — plastic-wrapped lifestyles and fossil-fueled pride — forgetting that true prosperity is harmony, not excess. The Bhagavad Gita warns us: “Bhogaiśvarya-prasaktānāṁ tayāpahṛta-cetasām, vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ samādhau na vidhīyate.” (Gita 2.44) — “For those attached to pleasure and material opulence, the resolute intelligence for spiritual advancement does not arise.” And so, blinded by indulgence, we destroy what sustains us. The smog outside mirrors the fog within — a loss of clarity, compassion, and purpose. Unless we return to simpler, value-driven living — consuming less, caring more — no purifier, no policy, and no post will save us. The crisis is not of air alone, but of consciousness