'Delhi, We Need To Talk': Virat Kohli Urges People To Fight Toxic Smog

Delhi has been under a blanket of thick smog for over a week now. The air quality index or AQI, which measures the amount of the pollutant PM2.5 and other particles in the air, had plummeted to levels close to 500 which falls under the 'hazardous' category. With warnings of a public health emergency declared, residents of the national capital reeled under the perilous effects of toxic air. India captain Virat Kohli, who is a staunch believer of being fit and living healthy, uploaded a video on his official Twitter handle where he is seen urging the people of Delhi to engage themselves in curbing down the pollution in Delhi. 

"Hi guys! We all know what the situation of pollution is like in Delhi, I wanted to bring your attention towards it because a lot of people are debating as to what's causing it. But what are we actually doing about it? Agar humein yeh match jeetna hain pollution ke against, hum sab ko saath mein mil ke khelna hoga. Kyunki hum sabki zimmedaari hain pollution ko kam karna. Specially jo log Delhi mein rehte hain, un sabki yeh responsibility hain. (If we have to win the match against pollution then we all have to come together. Because this is everybody's responsibility to curb down the pollution. Specially the people who live in Delhi, it is their responsibility)," he said.

#Delhi, we need to talk! #MujheFarakPadtaHai pic.twitter.com/Q5mkBkRRIy

— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) November 15, 2017

"I would urge people to share their rides whenever they can. I would urge them to use a bus, a metro, or use Ola Share if you can. This action if we do it once a week, it will make a massive difference. Kyunki har chhote action se bhi farak padta hain. (Because every small action can make a huge difference) If you agree, like this post, share it and show your support," Kohli added.

The AAP government had announced the introduction of the odd-even scheme as part of the Graded Response Plan to tackle the alarming pollution situation in the national capital. But after a fallout with the green court over exempting women and two-wheelers, the government had to scrap the plan.

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court had ruled banning the sale of firecrackers in Delhi-National Capital Region during Diwali. With some groups protesting the ban, the ruling did little to stop runaway air pollution in Delhi.