From smog cutters to diet tips: Vadra, Kohli and other celebs on Delhi smog

Ordinary mortals are not the only people concerned about Delhi's abysmal air quality and its blanket of Delhi smog. celebrities and well-known individuals are voicing their concerns, and possible solutions, too.

In a bipartisan appeal on Facebook for tackling the menace, Congress President Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra says,"Poisoned air doesn't care which caste or religion you belong to. It is an undiscriminating killer. The time to lay down a road-map is now. The road to a solution starts with us."

Calling on the Centre and the Delhi state government to set aside their "political slug fest" and focus on "the safety and well being of Delhi's citizens", Vadra points at China's success at "drastically" reducing its smog levels by "employing such techniques as massive windmill style fans (to dissipate smog cover)".

Calling for long-term sustainable solutions, Vadra goes on to list out some himself: "The previous Government imposed energy efficiency standards on air conditioners, fridges and other electronic appliances. This in turn led to a drastic cut in electricity consumption. We need more electric cars and buses. We need better solutions for our farmers. It is a one time cost for the Government to purchase the machines which can turn husk into safe and non-toxic refuse."

He also highlighted that in the wake of reports that the Delhi government was sitting on a Rs 787-cr green fund, it was time to deploy "imaginative solutions".

As reported earlier, while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday blamed the Centre for blocking projects, an RTI query revealed that the Arvind Kejriwal-led government did not spend even a paisa out of the Rs 787 crore it collected as environment cess since January 1 this year.

As the capital city grappled with dangerously high pollution levels, the Right to Information (RTI) query on Wednesday found the Delhi government was unable to specify its utilisation of the Rs 787 crore green cess collected during 2017. The government said it spent Rs 93 lakh of the cess in 2016, but there was "no mention of any expenditure" in 2017.

While Vadra wrote about policy solutions for those in power, celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar had some advice for the common citizens on how to survive through the smog.

According to Diwekar, bit-sized laddoos made from dry ginger, jaggery and clarified butter can prevent inflammation and flu, keep your sinuses clean, and smoothen digestion. She advices that people start and end their day with one of these, adding that it was also good to consume one after spending a long time outdoors in the smog.

Another remedy suggested by her is chewing on sugarcane or consuming it as fresh juice. According to Diwekar, this will help you detoxify your liver, boost your immune system, and help beat the lethargy or low mood caused by the smog. She says it should be consumed, in either form, before noon.

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