‘AQI, AQI’ chorus as Delhi CM arrives for Messi event amid spike in air pollution
The foggy conditions also played a role in Messi's charter flight to the capital getting delayed. Scheduled to land at 10.45 am, he touched down at 2.30 pm resulting in him reaching the venue at 4:30pm.
Lionel Messi fans at Arun Jaitley Stadium chanted ‘AQI, AQI’ when Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta got on the stage. (Express photo by Abhinav Saha) Late Monday evening, just as Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta entered the Arun Jaitley Stadium to share the stage with global football superstar Lionel Messi and be part of the last leg of the GOAT Tour, a new chant echoed around the arena. Braving thick smog throughout the day, thousands of fans had earlier given their hero a grand welcome with a deafening “Messi, Messi” roar. Now, shouts of “AQI, AQI” hit the hazardous air around the stadium.
Around that time, Delhi’s AQI (Air Quality Index) had zoomed to 325 as Monday marked the third consecutive day when the capital’s average index was reported in the ‘Severe’ category at 427. Just a day before, Delhi had recorded the most polluted day of the season with an average AQI of 461 — the second worst air day in December since 2015 when the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) began AQI monitoring.
Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami teammates Rodrigo De Paul and Luis Suarez pose for a photo with Delhi CM Rekha Gupta, ICC chief Jay Shah and Rohan Jaitley at Arun Jaitley Stadium, as part of Messi’s India tour, in New Delhi, on Monday. (Express photo by Abhinav Saha)
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