Searching for clean air in Delhi-NCR? Harsh Goenka suggests an unexpected location- Gurgaon cremation ground

Business leader Harsh Goenka highlighted an unexpected contrast in Gurgaon's air quality: the cremation ground has cleaner air than the rest of the city and even Delhi. Goenka shared a screenshot of real-time pollution data on X (formerly Twitter), showing the cremation ground with a "moderate" Air Quality Index (AQI) of 95, while areas like DLF Phase 1 and 2 registered "hazardous" levels of 584 and 563 respectively. "If you are in Gurgaon/Delhi area and you want to be where the pollution (AQI level) is low, I have a suggestion where to go," he captioned the image.

Social media reacts to Goenka’s post

His remarks gained attention on social media as Delhi NCR continued to grapple with hazardous air pollution.
The post sparked reactions online, with many users responding with humor. A user under the handle Sarcastic Dinesh wrote, “I’m replying from there only. It’s fresh out here. I thought the smoke from cremation would be toxic, but it’s refreshing. Yours faithfully, recently-cremated body due to pollution-related illness.”


Another commenter, Vivek, remarked, “Good strategy. Jana toh wahi hai [that’s where we’ll end up]. Advance planning will help.” A third user, Potassium Cyanide, quipped, “Could we divert some pollution towards the cremation ground to spread pollution evenly? Why should the dead have all the fun?”

Authorities implement emergency measures

Amid the worsening air quality, Gurgaon's administration introduced urgent measures. Ajay Kumar, Deputy Commissioner of Gurugram, announced that private organizations and multinational companies were advised to implement a 50% work-from-home policy.

“This is crucial in combating ‘severe+’ air quality levels and supporting the Grap measures to improve air quality in the region,” Kumar stated on X.

Schools in the Delhi NCR region were also directed to conduct hybrid classes, offering a mix of online and offline learning to reduce exposure to the toxic air.

Rising concerns over air quality

The incident underscores the dire air pollution levels in Delhi NCR, which frequently sees AQI levels rise to hazardous levels during winter months. Authorities and experts continue to call for coordinated measures to tackle this annual crisis.