India’s G20 Sherpa and former NITI Aayog CEO, Amitabh Kant, gained notoriety after posting a video of the stunning scenery from his Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, hotel. “Awesome view from Hotel Nacional where I am staying in Rio for G20 Leaders summit,” wrote Kant on X (previously Twitter), where he is attending the summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The sea, beach, mountains, buildings, and the background favelas are all captured.
However, the post triggered backlash from users who contrasted the clear skies in Rio with Delhi’s ongoing air pollution crisis. Many questioned why Kant seemed indifferent to the toxic smog enveloping the National Capital Region (NCR).
Stunning view from Hotel Nacional where I am staying in Rio for G20 Leaders summit . It captures the sea, beach, mountains,skyscrapers and the pavelas in the background. pic.twitter.com/2PBBCEYMYk
— Amitabh Kant (@amitabhk87) November 18, 2024
Several X users expressed frustration over the timing of Kant’s post. Retired army officer Pavan Nair asked, “Mr Kant, when did you last see such clear skies in New Delhi? As head of the Planning Commission or whatever you call it now, is it not your duty to take cognisance of the hazardous skies in your city? What are your plans? Do share.”
Mr Kant, when did you last see such clear skies in New Delhi? As head of the Planning Commission or whatever you call it now, is it not your duty to take cognisance of the hazardous skies in your city? What are your plans? Do share. https://t.co/8HYgBHjFTP
— Col Pavan Nair (@pavannair) November 18, 2024
Another user acknowledged Kant’s contributions as a bureaucrat but lamented, “This tweet of yours from beautiful Rio just opened all the floodgates of despair, disappointment, and a sense of being helpless in your home city of Delhi for me today.”
A user went further, urging Kant to focus on addressing Delhi’s environmental challenges. “I rather have you be the ‘Sherpa’ of counter stubble-burning efforts across states, a Sherpa of fresh air for Northern India.”
Congress Kerala’s X handle also joined the criticism, pointing out the stark difference in air quality between Rio, with an AQI of 13, and Delhi, where pollution levels have reached hazardous extremes.
Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor raised a larger question, asking whether Delhi should remain India’s capital given its chronic pollution issues. “Delhi is officially the most polluted city in the world… This city is essentially uninhabitable from November to January inclusive and barely livable the rest of the year. Should it even remain the nation’s capital?” Tharoor posted on X.
Delhi is officially the most polluted city in the world, 4x Hazardous levels and nearly five times as bad as the second most polluted city, Dhaka. It is unconscionable that our government has been witnessing this nightmare for years and does nothing about it. I have run an Air… pic.twitter.com/sLZhfeo722
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) November 18, 2024
Tharoor highlighted that his Air Quality Round Table, launched in 2015, had seen little progress. He lamented, “Nothing seemed to change, and no one seemed to care.”
Delhi and its surrounding areas, home to over 7 crore residents, face some of the worst air pollution levels globally every winter. This year, the air quality has reached “severe-plus” levels, forcing schools to shift to online classes and authorities to implement strict pollution control measures.
A thick smog, a mix of smoke and fog, has engulfed the region. Experts attribute the crisis to emissions, construction dust, and the rampant stubble burning by farmers in Punjab and Haryana, who clear their fields for the next crop cycle.
As Delhi’s air quality continues to deteriorate, public figures and experts alike are calling for urgent action. Whether Kant’s post was ill-timed or merely a reflection of his travels, it has reignited a crucial debate on the government’s responsibility to address the capital’s unrelenting environmental challenges.
