We're all getting poisoned: Richa Chadha calls out silence on Delhi's toxic air

Richa Chadha criticises the government's failure to address air pollution and healthcare accountability, slamming the indifference to the deaths of newborns in Jhansi and the worsening air crisis in North India.

In Short

• Richa Chadha laments public indifference to North India's air quality
• Chadha blames the government for lack of air quality solutions
• Actor also condemns accountability failure in Jhansi newborn deaths

Actor Richa Chadha has raised her voice over two major national crises, criticising both the health sector’s ongoing accountability issues and the alarming air pollution in North India. In a series of tweets, the actor expressed her concern over the deaths of newborns in Jhansi and questioned the lack of public outrage over the deteriorating air quality that affects millions across the region.

Describing the air quality in North India as “so so so bad,” she lamented the public’s indifference to the crisis. "We Indians must have really low self-esteem, really low sense of hope and justice," she wrote, criticising the silence surrounding the issue despite its detrimental impact on public health.

The actor pointed out that the government imposes high taxes but offers no solutions to address the worsening air quality, which affects children, elderly people, and animals alike.

The Heeramandi actor voiced her frustration over the lack of protests or collective action, stating that the country’s citizens are "slowly getting poisoned" by the toxic air while doing nothing to demand change. She ended her tweet by emphasizing the gravity of the issue: "That’s a sign of very, very poor self-worth. Sad."

In another post, Chadha called the tragic deaths of newborns in Jhansi "stuff of nightmares" and condemned the failure to address accountability in the healthcare system. Referring to the 2021 oxygen crisis during the second wave of COVID-19, she argued, "Because we chose to turn a blind eye to newborns dying without oxygen supply in government hospitals, in UP and Gujarat, we encountered the oxygen supply nightmare in 2021."

The actor expressed deep distress over the recent incident in Jhansi, where 10 children lost their lives, and 16 others sustained injuries in a massive fire that broke out at the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College.

"Once again, if accountability is evaded, we, the common citizens of this country, will ignore this disaster at our peril," Chadha said, adding that such incidents are a "blot on the conscience of our country." She concluded, "This apathy will be the collective karma of our people."

Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath called the Jhansi incident “heartbreaking” and directed officials to provide top-notch medical care to the injured.