Karmactive Staff
As toxic air blankets Delhi and Mumbai with AQI hitting 396 and 305, billionaires like Mukesh Ambani ($120B) and Savitri Jindal ($43.7B) face the same choking reality as millions of ordinary citizens.
Photo Source: Free Malaysia Today (CC BY 4.0)
Even $150,000 air purifiers in Mumbai's Antilia and Delhi's luxury penthouses proved powerless against the post-Diwali pollution surge, where PM2.5 levels soared beyond safe limits.
Photo Source: V.T. Polywoda (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Can Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Shah escape Delhi's hazardous air when their own policies struggle to combat pollution costing India $150 billion annually?
Mumbai's Colaba recorded a shocking AQI of 305, while Delhi's Anand Vihar station topped global pollution charts at 396 - forcing even the wealthy to gasp for breath behind sealed windows.
Environmental activist Bhavreen Kandhari warns: "Our Children and You Know Our Generation Is going to lose many years close To 12 Years" as air purifiers fail to filter firecracker toxins.
What happens when Radhakishan Damani's $31.5 billion fortune meets Mumbai's post-Diwali AQI of 172, with all monitoring stations flashing "poor" air quality alerts?
Dr. Sonam Solanki reports patients fleeing to pollution-free destinations as persistent coughs take 7-10 days to resolve, despite 377 enforcement teams patrolling Delhi's streets.
While 60% of Indians breathe air meeting national standards, South Asian cities dominate global pollution rankings - with Delhi and Kolkata claiming the top spots at AQI 481 and 392.
Mumbai's Sewri hit 284 AQI as Rina Deshpande shares: "Since Covid, we've been spending Diwali outside the city after learning festive pollution triggers respiratory illness in my kids.
Delhi's Air Quality Crashes: Anand Vihar Hits Hazardous 433 AQI—See Which Other Areas Are Next