South African legend Jonty Rhodes has expressed his concern over Delhi's worsening air pollution and described the air pollution "hard to digest". Widely regarded as one of the greatest fielders in cricket history, Rhodes has long shared a deep connection with India, where he now lives with his family in Goa. Jonty Rhodes, who spends much of his time in India, shared two photos on social media showing the stark contrast between pollution levels in Delhi and Goa. He also raised important questions, asking what steps can be taken to improve air quality during the winter months.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Rhodes wrote: "Passing through Delhi en route to Ranchi this evening, and as always, it's hard to digest the low levels of air quality here. Am grateful to be living in a small fishing village in South Goa ##AQI #whats2Bdone." He tagged the post with #AQI and #whats2Bdone.
Hours later, in another post, he posted a picture of his children playing football along the beachside, adding that in Delhi they are advised to stay at home due to the worsening air pollution. "This is what my “home” sunsets look like - and yes, those are my kids playing football! In Delhi they suggest staying indoors," he wrote.
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"Nothing quite like the peace in South Goa around Agonda, Kakolem, Patnem, Polem like villages," a user wrote. "The capital of India, topmost politicians, judiciary and ministries exist here. They breathe the same cancerous air. Polluted minds lead to polluted cities. Hardly any traffic policing on roads, unchecked construction and inflow of migrants has destroyed the city," another one wrote. Another user praised his decision to live in Goa and wrote, "No doubt you are blessed with good weather." (sic)
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At 4 pm the Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 370 on Sunday, placing the city in the “red zone”, data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed. On Sunday PM2.5 remained the key pollutant in the city. Delhi has been experiencing deteriorating air quality for four consecutive days, edging closer to the “severe” category. Sunday’s average AQI was 370, the second-highest of the season after October 30, when it reached 373. As per CPCB standards, an AQI between 0-50 is considered 'good', 51-100 'satisfactory', 101-200 'moderate', 201-300 'poor', 301-400 'very poor', and 401-500 'severe'.
With the AQI in the national capital continuously dripping, several people, fumed over the present situation, have taken to social media, sharing videos and pictures of how quickly their air purifier filters are getting clogged. Several people were detained on Sunday afternoon after they gathered at India Gate as part of a "clean air protest", demanding urgent govt action and strict policies to mitigate what they called an "air emergency". According to the cops, the agitators were repeatedly advised to shift their demonstration to Jantar Mantar, the designated site for public protests in the city.
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“The inaction of pollution of 10 years cannot be fixed in 7 months. AAP commented on the location of the Bawana monitoring station, which was installed by them. They spent money on advertisements and not on fixing pollution. We are working to make the situation better,” said Sirsa.
(With PTI inputs)
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Rhodes wrote: "Passing through Delhi en route to Ranchi this evening, and as always, it's hard to digest the low levels of air quality here. Am grateful to be living in a small fishing village in South Goa ##AQI #whats2Bdone." He tagged the post with #AQI and #whats2Bdone.
Hours later, in another post, he posted a picture of his children playing football along the beachside, adding that in Delhi they are advised to stay at home due to the worsening air pollution. "This is what my “home” sunsets look like - and yes, those are my kids playing football! In Delhi they suggest staying indoors," he wrote.
Social media reacts to Jonty Rhodes' post
Fans and followers quickly reacted to his post, agreeing with his message and urging for stronger environmental policies to address Delhi’s ongoing air pollution crisis. Many also praised Rhodes for choosing to live away from city congestion, admiring his simple, nature-focused lifestyle in a fishing village.ALSO READ: Siddhant Awasthi, Tesla’s head of Cybertruck program, quits company after 8 years, mentions Elon Musk in his farewell post
"Nothing quite like the peace in South Goa around Agonda, Kakolem, Patnem, Polem like villages," a user wrote. "The capital of India, topmost politicians, judiciary and ministries exist here. They breathe the same cancerous air. Polluted minds lead to polluted cities. Hardly any traffic policing on roads, unchecked construction and inflow of migrants has destroyed the city," another one wrote. Another user praised his decision to live in Goa and wrote, "No doubt you are blessed with good weather." (sic)
Delhi gasps for breath
Residents of Delhi woke up to a thick layer of smog on Monday with temperatures dropping to 11.6°C and the city’s air quality remaining in the “very poor” category. Data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) at 6:05am showed an overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of 346. On Sunday, the air quality in the national capital touched the season's worst with the AQI climbing to 391 before dipping slightly.ALSO READ: Comet 3I/ATLAS surrounded by mysterious jet structure? Scientists stunned as second interstellar object C/2025 V1 appears
At 4 pm the Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 370 on Sunday, placing the city in the “red zone”, data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed. On Sunday PM2.5 remained the key pollutant in the city. Delhi has been experiencing deteriorating air quality for four consecutive days, edging closer to the “severe” category. Sunday’s average AQI was 370, the second-highest of the season after October 30, when it reached 373. As per CPCB standards, an AQI between 0-50 is considered 'good', 51-100 'satisfactory', 101-200 'moderate', 201-300 'poor', 301-400 'very poor', and 401-500 'severe'.
With the AQI in the national capital continuously dripping, several people, fumed over the present situation, have taken to social media, sharing videos and pictures of how quickly their air purifier filters are getting clogged. Several people were detained on Sunday afternoon after they gathered at India Gate as part of a "clean air protest", demanding urgent govt action and strict policies to mitigate what they called an "air emergency". According to the cops, the agitators were repeatedly advised to shift their demonstration to Jantar Mantar, the designated site for public protests in the city.
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What Delhi Minister said on air pollution
The Delhi government has claimed that the city's air quality has shown significant improvement this year, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 291 recorded on November 4 -- the best for this date in the last seven years. Hitting out at the AAP government, Delhi environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa pointed to a slew of measure being taken by the city govt, including installing sprinklers, fixing pollution norms for industries etc.“The inaction of pollution of 10 years cannot be fixed in 7 months. AAP commented on the location of the Bawana monitoring station, which was installed by them. They spent money on advertisements and not on fixing pollution. We are working to make the situation better,” said Sirsa.
(With PTI inputs)
