‘Is this a life?’: Yogi compares Delhi air to ‘gas chamber’, says UP's environment much cleaner

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday criticised Delhi’s air quality, likening it to a “gas chamber”, while asserting that people in Uttar Pradesh were enjoying a cleaner environment despite ongoing development work.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony of a renovated Block Development Officer’s office in Jungle Kauria in Gorakhpur, Adityanath said environmental degradation had emerged as one of the biggest global challenges and stressed the importance of maintaining ecological balance alongside development.

“The environment here is quite good; there is no pollution. Without pollution, there are fewer diseases. Whenever pollution exists, it harms the lungs. If our supply of oxygen is compromised, the entire body suffers,” he said, according to a statement issued by the Uttar Pradesh government.

Turning to the national capital’s air quality, Adityanath remarked, “You see the condition in Delhi? It feels like a gas chamber. The situation is dire; breathing is difficult, and there’s a burning sensation in the eyes. Doctors advise those suffering from asthma, as well as the elderly and children, to stay indoors. What kind of life is this?”

He cautioned that any disturbance to the environment could lead to similar situations elsewhere and added, “We are fortunate here; we have development without a suffocating environment.”

According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 211 at 9 am on Saturday, placing it in the “poor” category. As per CPCB standards, an AQI between 0 and 50 is classified as “good”, 51 to 100 “satisfactory”, 101 to 200 “moderate”, 201 to 300 “poor”, 301 to 400 “very poor”, and 401 to 500 “severe”.

The chief minister’s remarks come amid recurring debates over air quality management in northern India, particularly during winter months when pollution levels often rise across the National Capital Region