AQI: It is not an "India" problem

AQI is a measure of the air quality in a city. India has famously been in the news because a bio hacker walked out of an interview as the air quality was poor.

But does India have poor air quality?

One of the amazing things about speaking is that you get to travel. I have had the good fortune of visiting cities big and small around the world, especially India.

I know our news feed is anchored around famous people and their doings. Often, these stories are centered on the large metropolises - Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata.

But India is an enormous country. To generalize that India has poor AQI is over simplification.

I landed in Kanpur today to speak. I was amazed at the clear air, blue skies, clean roads and general sense of sanitation. The AQI was 80. I have seen the same thing in other cities. Bhopal, Indore, Belgavi and Jodhpur to name a few.

Just for reference Mumbai was 430.

So it is not an all India problem. It is a problem in large cities in India.

My argument is not to be dismissive about air quality. It really matters. The more attention we can get around this topic, the faster we will clean it up.

There are two paths forward.

Either the smaller cities can look at envy at the giagantic cities and emulate their growth and development. Pollution be dammed. Or they can go down the other path and keep improving on what is already a good thing.

If the quality of life keeps improving in the smaller cities, they will become magnets for talent. As that happens, the same pressures that the large metros faced will confront the havens of air quality.

It is at this point that the civic authorities need to play a role. So if you are one or know someone who is one, remind them to not allow their city to be the cause of negative press.

Mumbai and the rest, is it time to wake up?

Reach out to me on twitter @rbawri Instagram @riteshbawriofficial and YouTube at www.youtube.com/breatheagain