- 4 hours ago
An India Today Special Investigation Team undercover probe on '5 Live' reveals widespread food safety and hygiene violations across prominent eateries and restaurants in Delhi, including areas around Jyoti Nagar, Karkardooma, Paharganj, and New Delhi Railway Station.
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00:00Hello and welcome. You're watching 5 Live. I'm Sonal Mehrotra Kapoor.
00:04A power-packed show is in store for you today.
00:07Because today we are just not talking about any other news piece.
00:10We've got an exclusive investigation for you.
00:16For weeks, months now, we've been talking about a certain kind of awareness that has trickled into India.
00:22An awareness on food quality.
00:25Many have called it the Munde effect.
00:27But is that limited only to Maharashtra?
00:31What about Delhi?
00:33So we at India Today decided to do our own investigation.
00:37Go to some very popular restaurants, even dark kitchens in the national capital to see the reality for ourselves.
00:45It's not the reality you want to see.
00:47Because in our conversation, we also found how easy it is to procure a license.
00:53It's up for sale.
00:54It guarantees nobody will come knocking at the door and check you.
00:59All of that uncovered on the program today.
01:02It's Delhi's food hell.
01:04Delhi known for his delicious street food.
01:09Known as the food capital as well.
01:11But clearly, we've got a lot of research and deep dive to do in here.
01:16That's our story number one.
01:17Then we move on to the big reality of pollution.
01:23The season is here.
01:25But the interesting bit is that right before the Shaira, Delhi was not on the list of the top 30
01:33polluted cities across the globe.
01:36We looked at the list of top 20.
01:3913 are actually from India.
01:42Not a single one is Delhi.
01:45But if I were to do that check today, it would have changed because we are back at 300.
01:50100 is the Shaira, the real factor.
01:54Our firecrackers, the real factor.
01:58We'll decode that for you.
02:00And then we've got comments coming in from Piyush Goyal.
02:03Who, while talking in Europe, spoke about how it's a priority.
02:08Climate change is a priority when it comes to India.
02:11But do we forget that in our own land?
02:14Because we're not hearing any politician talk about air pollution at all.
02:19So let's see what the minister has got to say on that matter.
02:23We'll take you through all of that and much more.
02:25First up, the headlines.
02:29BJP accuses leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi of engaging with questionable individuals during his foreign visits
02:38and participating in anti-India propaganda upon returning to India.
02:43BJP calls Rahul a failed product, questioning his mental stability.
03:04ITBP confirms rising tensions and multiple face-offs along the line of actual control in Arunachal Pradesh.
03:10This marks the first official confirmation of escalating border face-off since July.
03:15Congress MP Jairam Ramesh has slammed the government policy on China, questioned the government's silence on the matter.
03:25Guru Gramm plunges into darkness as electricity employees continue their three-day strike against privatization,
03:31disruption affects households, water supplies and industrial operations.
03:34Haryana Minister Anilvij urges employees to call off strike.
03:44Rehan Wadra's father, Robert Wadra, speaks exclusively to India today.
03:49Clamps politics which has been played over his artwork.
03:53Questions a stand-off for Bikaner House.
03:56BJP calls him Rehan's political launch by Friyanka Wadra.
04:03Chilling details tumble out in Tiger Shroff's firing case.
04:08A probe reveals shooters practice shooting in RA Forest area in Mumbai.
04:13Tiger Shroff shares a video showing his injuries with gunpowder burns on arms and bicep.
04:21TVK allies, Congress, DMK, VCK and the left boycott key election commission meeting over special summary revision demand.
04:33Resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, AIADMK BJP attend the key meet.
04:54Food safety is finally getting some attention in the country.
04:59About time, honestly.
05:01In Maharashtra, the FDA has been walking into kitchens, shutting down outlets, putting names out in public.
05:08FSSCI has been pushing too.
05:11There is a big battle going on in the country when it comes to front-of-level battling.
05:15But what about Delhi?
05:18The city that calls itself the food capital of India.
05:21Street food, late-night biryani, the momo stalls you swear by.
05:26Delhi has been strangely quiet when it comes to the entire monitoring of food safety.
05:33So, India today, our team decided to do it ourselves.
05:38Our team visited popular food joints across the city, places that feed hundreds of people every day.
05:44Places you probably order from Swiggy and Zomato all the time.
05:48And what we found inside is hard to watch.
05:51Walls soaked with damp.
05:55Bits of ceiling coming down.
05:57Food being prepared right on the floor.
06:02Hygiene didn't seem to be anybody's job at all.
06:05And then it gets worse.
06:07Some of these places don't even have a proper kitchen.
06:11But they do have an FSSCI license.
06:15How?
06:16Well, money, that's how.
06:19So, foodies, this episode is for you.
06:22Watch out.
06:22Every outlet on our list is in clear violation of the rules.
06:26And the question for the authorities is simple.
06:30Is anyone actually checking?
06:32Or has food safety in Delhi become a stamp which is up for sale?
06:37On 5 Live today, a reality check on what's really reaching your plate.
06:56You like the food.
06:58You trust the brand.
07:00You place the order.
07:03But the real story begins inside the kitchen where your food is prepared.
07:08India today visited several food joints in Delhi to bring to you this reality check.
07:13What we found raises serious questions about hygiene, cleanliness and the safety of the food being served.
07:23Ingredients on the floor, utensils on the ground, employees working without head coverings and spaces that do not keep basic
07:33kitchen hygiene in mind.
07:35At one location, a drain being cleaned right at the entrance to the kitchen.
07:42At another, a kitchen opening directly onto the street exposed to dust.
07:49And at Royal Flavors, we even found a damp ceiling with debris falling from it, directly above the area where
07:56food is prepared.
07:59For customers ordering food online, the kitchen remains out of sight.
08:05The meal arrives at the doorstep, but the conditions in which it was prepared are never seen.
08:12A good-looking meal can hide an uncomfortable reality.
08:15But when safety is in question, it's no longer just about taste, it is about trust.
08:22A report by Special Investigative Team's Nitin Jain for India Today.
08:32Let's take you to the first restaurant on our list.
08:36Our team visited Veerji Malai Chaap, a name Delhi's food lovers know for its sizzling chaap.
08:42Our investigation found a very different picture inside the kitchen.
08:46In the outlet in Delhi's Jyoti Nagar, rats are moving around, staff is preparing food without hairnets, and stray dogs
08:54are at the entrance.
08:56And when our undercover team asked them about licenses, the response was that they could be arranged.
09:04So what's really happening behind the scenes at this very popular joint?
09:08Take a look at this investigation.
09:17India Today's undercover team visits Veerji Malai Chaap in Delhi's Jyoti Nagar.
09:18Malai Chaap sizzling on the tawa.
09:22Orders flying in.
09:24Customers lining up.
09:28But what goes on inside the kitchen?
09:35India Today's undercover team visits Veerji Malai Chaap in Delhi's Jyoti Nagar.
09:44Food items on the floor.
09:50Utensils lying on the ground.
09:53A stray dog at the entrance.
09:58Staff preparing food without hairnets.
10:05And serious questions over basic hygiene.
10:11Our team pauses as prospective food business owners and asks how licenses, pest control and inspections are handled.
10:19What's needed on a location?
10:20The manager's response is startling.
10:26All the
10:27Pest control is checked, then the license is checked.
10:31Let's mechanics check.
10:37Aaya chaap can hit the floor.
10:40Aaya chaap can hit the floor.
10:47Ligenses can be arranged.
10:49requirements can be managed and then we are left stunned right in front of us a
10:56mouse curring around the kitchen we tell the manager expecting a reaction the
11:02response this is normal
11:19the
11:20the
11:20the
11:21the
11:21the
11:21the
11:21And the city has been given to the people who have been involved in the country.
11:25I am asking you to speak.
11:28I am opening in Hojpur.
11:30You see, in the city, in the city.
11:34I will open the city.
11:35You will have a lot of issues.
11:39I will understand how I manage it.
11:43We will start the city.
12:03No hairnets, check. Pest, check. And now, water quality?
12:30The suggestion is that there is no need to test the water. Because when you have money,
12:36why bother following norms?
12:39Within-spot utensils lying on the floor.
12:45How big is your kitchen?
12:47My kitchen.
12:48My kitchen is super-staffed.
12:51My kitchen is so big. It's small.
12:53I'm going to take my kitchen.
12:55Now, when people say,
12:58I'm going to keep my kitchen down.
13:01I'm going to take my kitchen.
13:06I'm going to take my kitchen down.
13:09I'm going to take my kitchen down.
13:11I'm going to take my kitchen down.
13:12Everything is fine.
13:13I'm going to take my kitchen down as well.
13:20a rat running around in the kitchen no clean water this is a situation that we
13:27can see but clearly officials cannot a report by special investigative teams
13:35natin jain for india today everything can be arranged spoken just flatly our team then had
13:48the next stop it was a very popular shri radhe krishna food joint in delhi's karka dhuma
13:53our team found debris on the walls food preparation being carried out by people sitting on the floor
13:59and serious questions about hygiene and when asked about inspections by authorities this
14:05response suggested that money could take care of just about anything what exactly did our team
14:13uncover here at this spot take a look
14:30piping hot chole with fluffy but today swarms of customers waiting to get their hands on the order
14:39this is the very popular shri radhe krishna food joint in delhi's karka dhuma known for its
14:45chole bhature but now also known for its poor hygiene standards
14:53damp moisture ridden walls
15:03debris falling from the ceiling
15:12and staff preparing food on the floor this is the disturbing reality inside
15:20is there any accountability not really as the owner of this food joint tells us all it takes is a
15:28few bucks
15:56what about the
15:58inspections and meeting food safety guidelines, not something that any of these eateries have
16:04to worry about in sins.
16:28We call it a pen, a pen and a pen.
16:36How do we do that?
16:40Yes.
16:41Yes.
16:42Yes.
16:42Yes.
16:42Yes.
16:43Yes.
16:43Yes.
16:43Yes.
16:45Yes.
16:46Yes.
17:13In the same neighbourhood, we then visit
17:16another eatery, Radhe Shaam Chole Bhuture.
17:21And unsurprisingly, we find no head covers, no pest control.
17:29The eatery confesses nothing can be done to stop rats from entering the kitchen.
17:46So, we have to take care of the patient.
17:48We have to take care of the patient.
17:51We have to take care of the patient.
18:05After receiving the patient's phone, we have to take care of the patient.
18:11The patient's phone calls himself to take care of the patient.
18:14For the patient's phone, the patient's phone calls himself to take care of the patient.
18:22They cannot do that.
18:24They will work, taking care of the patient.
18:34Two eateries serving hundreds of customers unhygiened food and yet there is zero fear
18:41of action, of consequences for the state of their kitchen.
18:45A report by Special Investigative Teams, Nitin Jain, for India Today.
18:55And the next one might have been your last order if you like tandoori stuff.
19:03Well, Kadak Singh Kadhaba, a familiar name for anyone who loves their naans, dals and
19:08even kebabs, it has about 110 outlets across the Delhi and NCR.
19:13But our investigation team went into two of its Delhi outlets, raising serious questions
19:18about staff's medical checks, hygiene protocols, food safety inspection as well.
19:24One manager described protection gear as a matter of choice, while another says that his own
19:30medical examination hasn't been done.
19:33There are also troubling claims about payments being made to the officials.
19:38You see how across different areas, across different brands, even chain of stores and restaurants,
19:45the problem pretty much the same.
19:54Piping hot naans with curries, kebabs and what not.
20:01Every Delhiite knows Kadak Singh Dha Dhabha.
20:04But beyond the buttery naans and the tasty dals, here's what you don't see.
20:12We visited the eateries, Karkaduma branch.
20:16The manager tells us the brand operates around 110 outlets.
20:21But his response on inspections, hygiene and compliance are revealing.
20:31Things are not relevant to the people of India's medical system.
20:42There has been a wood that took care of, from a normal, sick and sick in the hospital.
21:07Parts of the norms and guidelines to follow is regular health checks for the staff, but
21:13that's something the manager admits does not happen.
21:33On pest control, he tells us it's handled every 15 days, but get this, he says it's
21:40impossible to keep rats out.
22:05Another norm breach, wearing hairnets.
22:27According to him, the rules are just guidelines.
22:30Follow them, if you can.
22:56So how does the establishment get away with all these violations?
22:59The answer, as always, corruption.
23:25Maybe it's just one branch, and not all Khadak Singh Dharabas in the state.
23:31We visit another branch in Durgapuri, but it's more of the same.
23:36Sachin, who handles, admits he hasn't had a medical done.
24:08Best control?
24:09No change.
24:10He checks there too.
24:12Sachin admits to us.
24:38Water testing?
24:39Again, no question of following the norms.
24:42Why?
24:43Why?
24:44Because they have a license, nothing else matters.
25:04The takeaway from these restaurants is clear.
25:07All it takes is a license.
25:11One that's handed over.
25:13These eateries have nothing to worry about.
25:16There are no checks.
25:18No fear of consequences if basic hygiene standards are not maintained.
25:28So we've shown you the state of some of the restaurants in Delhi.
25:33Let's now get to the bottom of the problem.
25:36Those who hand over these licenses.
25:41A report by Special Investigation Team's Nitin Jain for India Today.
25:55Now let's turn our attention to one of the busiest places in the national capital.
26:01I'm talking about the railway station.
26:03Thousands of people eat around the New Delhi railway station every day.
26:07But what happens in the kitchens behind those plates?
26:09India Today went undercover and found food cooked and open next to dirty drains.
26:17And a manager who says a license is all you need.
26:22This is what travellers in the national capital are eating.
26:46This is New Delhi railway station, the heart of the capital.
26:53So many locals, so many tourists, so many families grab a bite here.
27:00But you will be shocked by the kitchens we saw.
27:05Food is cooked in the open, right next to filthy drains.
27:11The cooks follow no basic hygiene.
27:15No hair nets.
27:16No gloves.
27:17No gloves.
27:18This is the Madras Hotel.
27:20And the manager has no answers as to why basic norms are not being followed.
27:49We then ask him about pests and cockroaches all over.
27:53And his response?
27:55We do everything we can.
28:00We do everything we can.
28:02We do everything we can.
28:07We are not?
28:07Thinkers will check.
28:09You cannot.
28:10We do everything we can.
28:11So if someone says, you have no more?
28:15We do everything we can.
28:18I do everything.
28:20They do everything.
28:21Have you seen on the big left of them.
28:21I have no idea.
28:21I am a bad at the worst.
28:22And I am a bad at the worst.
28:23But the conditions are over too.
28:24Once again, we ask, how is it that nobody checks if food safety is being followed?
28:30We are reassured that there is no issue whatsoever as long as you have a license.
28:40This is not so complicated, you are thinking about it.
28:43Yes, this is not so complicated.
28:45You take it once and you don't have any attention to it.
28:47But you will always tell us that you will not have to worry about it.
28:57Food being cooked outside on a dirty lane next to a drain.
29:02We see it all, and yet Kumar denies it.
29:26A license on the wall is not hygiene in the kitchen.
29:31When food for thousands of travelers is made like this, who is checking?
29:37And how often?
29:39The answer is nobody.
29:42A report by Special Investigation Team's Nitin Jain for India Today.
29:48And the same disturbing trail of questions continue to two popular dhavas in Pahad Ganj.
29:54The Punjabi Dhava 7876 and the Royal Flavors.
29:58At the Punjabi Dhava, a staff member alleged that hygiene rules are followed mainly when inspectors show up.
30:04And claimed officials expect payments.
30:07And that's about it.
30:08Just a few steps away at the Royal Flavors, the manager appears to dismiss the absence of head covers.
30:13Because it's a Sunday.
30:17And rats in the kitchen, he says, they can't be stopped.
30:20So are food safety rules being followed only when someone is watching?
30:25And who really cares?
30:27Do we as consumers care as well?
30:32Do we care to ask these questions?
30:33Watch this report and it will make you ask those questions.
30:42A busy Delhi street.
30:48Two popular dhabas.
30:51From rats to suspicious meat.
30:54Our expose will make you think twice about eating out this weekend.
30:59This is Punjabi Dhava 7876.
31:02A 50-year-old establishment on Arakshan Road in Pahad Ganj.
31:06Known for serving hot North Indian Khana.
31:10In the kitchen, the first thing we notice, nobody is wearing hairnets.
31:17Why do you say this?
31:20Do you need to wear a head net?
31:23All the things that we have in the inspection,
31:26we have all the head gears.
31:28In Hindustan, all things are secondary.
31:31That's how it works.
31:32That's how it is.
31:34This is the position in front of the shield.
31:37If the shield is in the position of the shield,
31:39it will not happen properly in Hindustan.
31:41It will be full in front of us.
31:43But what is it?
31:44It's all about it.
31:47So, what does it look like?
31:49Why does it look like it?
31:50It looks like it looks like it.
31:52Medical checks.
31:54Another norm not followed.
32:10But the most shocking revelation, the manager Sachin suggests he can even source
32:18Badeka meat which we assume is beef, illegal in Delhi.
32:24You have to eat meat?
32:26You have to eat meat?
32:28You are eating meat?
32:29Yes.
32:30You eat meat.
32:31You eat meat.
32:31You eat meat.
32:33You eat meat.
32:34You eat meat.
32:34You eat meat.
32:37Shocking, right?
32:38Not the only restaurant.
32:40Just a few steps away, we visit Royal Flavors, another outlet of Punjabi Dhaba.
32:47And what we found will make you lose your appetite.
32:51An open sewer being cleaned and food being prepped right next to it.
33:10And rats?
33:12Well, that's normal, the manager tells us.
33:19And rats?
33:25Well, that's normal, the manager tells us.
33:27That's normal.
33:29That's normal.
33:30That's normal.
33:30That's normal.
33:32Two outlets and the same quality of hygiene.
33:36Zero compliance with food safety norms.
33:40A report by Special Investigative Team's Nitin Jain for India Today.
33:48So who's keeping a check on Delhi's food safety watchdogs?
33:52India Today's undercover investigation exposes troubling questions over food licensing process.
33:57After all, if this exists, then clearly somebody is not doing their job.
34:03What are they doing?
34:04Well, it looks like asking for money to keep quiet.
34:08A 50,000 court, which is 14,000 above the norm by the government.
34:16That gap, that corrupt gap, is what our India Today investigation has unraveled.
34:25It questions the apparent assurances that hygiene lapses won't be a problem.
34:32Is food safety now taking a backseat for money?
34:36Well, not one, not two.
34:38But several officers that we spoke with, several restauranters that we spoke with, seem to suggest this.
34:51Who ensures food safety norms are upheld across Delhi?
34:56What happens when those enforcing rules appear willing to look the other way?
35:02We've shown you the filth.
35:03Now let's show you the well-oiled scam that allows this to happen.
35:11On camera, for a cloud kitchen, quotations for 50,000 rupees for a license.
35:18And hygiene issues?
35:20Don't worry, they'll just look the other way.
35:24We approached an official to enquire about the process of setting up an online food kitchen in Delhi.
35:31And immediately we're told, pay up 50,000 rupees.
35:37Five more years with that?
35:41Three years with that?
35:44Three years with that?
35:56The official's own calculation raises questions.
36:01He cites 15,000 rupees as a one-time registration fee
36:05and approximately 7,000 rupees annually.
36:09For three years, that adds up to 36,000 rupees.
36:14So why was 50,000 quoted?
36:18Where does the additional 14,000 rupees go?
36:22Is it part of government fee or fee outside licensing process?
36:36This charge is the station charge.
36:3815,000 rupees?
36:39That's the last one.
36:40That's the last one.
36:43For one year, it will be 6,000 rupees.
36:467,000 rupees?
36:47Yes.
36:485,000 rupees, 22,000 rupees.
36:508,000 rupees.
36:51So this will be 7,000 rupees.
36:53This will be.
36:54As soon as you can do,
36:5530,000 rupees will be 50,500 rupees.
36:58Okay. So this will be 200.
37:0121,000 rupees and 36.
37:09But concerns go beyond money.
37:12When we flag the possibility of fines over poor hygiene, pest control, the official appears
37:19to brush aside the concerns by responding, no problem.
37:26I have to pay for money, so I don't have to pay for anything.
37:30It's nothing, it's not a problem.
37:33It's a little bit of trouble.
37:36No problem.
37:38Someone told me that the pest control is needed.
37:41Now I'm working with a medical.
37:45How many people are doing this?
37:47Three people.
37:50Three people are doing medical.
37:51Two people are doing medical.
37:54They will do medical.
37:54They will do medical.
37:56They will do medical.
37:56They will do medical.
37:58They will do medical.
38:06And then the payment, we ask for the mode of payment.
38:10We are told online transaction for a certain sum.
38:15Cash for the rest.
38:36A 50,000 rupee license court, an unexplained 14,000 rupees difference.
38:42The whole conversation only on money.
38:47No mention of hygiene or of following norms.
38:52A report by Special Investigation Team's Nitin Jain for India Today.
39:02All right.
39:03In the past roughly half an hour, we've exposed filthy kitchens at some of Delhi's biggest restaurants.
39:08But how did they get away with it?
39:11Well, the India Today undercover investigation exposes shocking corruption inside the MCD, where
39:19a license comes with a price tag.
39:22And even glaring hygiene violations may be overlooked.
39:26So is an FSSAI license enough to ensure food safety?
39:29Or is there a bigger enforcement failure at play?
39:34See for yourself.
39:47We have shown you the filth in some of Delhi's most famous restaurants.
39:53Now let's show you why they get away with it.
39:57This is the murky underbelly of Delhi's food business.
40:05One lakh is all it takes for MCD officials to look the other way.
40:10And ignore the glaring food safety lapses.
40:18Well, I'll take you the first one.
40:20No, you have a problem.
40:22If there's a shortage of other employees.
40:24No, no.
40:25No, no, no.
40:27No, no, no.
40:30I'll take care of the new guidelines.
40:32I'll take care of the new guidelines.
40:33I'll take care of the guidelines.
40:37I know that there are guidelines.
40:40No, no, no.
40:44Our cameras capture fissures, brushing aside concerns over hygiene lapses, raising serious
40:51questions about the checks meant to protect every diner.
40:58This is MCD inspector Praveen Rathin.
41:01We pose as businessmen looking to open a restaurant and get a licence.
41:26What happens if you see rats or cockroaches, we ask.
41:31Rathi assures us, we will handle it.
41:35But you understand that the rats are still in the middle.
41:41We tell you that the rats will be in the middle.
41:44We say that the rats will be in the middle.
41:48First, open it.
41:49Okay.
41:51You should answer it.
41:52No, you don't have any problem.
41:55If the rats will be in the middle.
41:59After meeting the inspector, we speak to MCD multitasking staff, Jitendra Khatri, who quotes
42:06an estimated one lakh rupees for a three-year licence.
42:09And with that licence, all other floors will also be taken care of.
42:17And that's not very important.
42:17なvå trzeba trä saber� is done in the middle.
42:29And if they have 솔직히 now, they weinemann."
42:32The cat snakes are to ignore the licitator rates.
42:35authoresagh will be taken care of.
42:38But we look at the houses of their extension.
42:39We now sarge needs to ignore that station.
42:42But what does it get a bit made out of this heaven?
42:42The recantрь may be put in its right direction.
42:42The patriarchal命令 has been approved.
42:43He лет recall the true murderers once again.
43:07Katsuri personally assures us, pay us one lakh, get the licence and there would be no MCT
43:14trouble even if food safety standards are in met.
43:49The inspector and MCT staffer visit the site, give the go-ahead and that's it.
43:55No inspection, no guidelines to be followed.
43:59Just shell out the money and you get the licence.
44:02And if this is how food safety is handled, are we really surprised that hygiene is the last priority of
44:10restaurants?
44:11A report by Special Investigative Team's Nitin Jain for India Today.
44:24So that's the hell that Delhi lives in, a food hell.
44:28But there's another hell that has broken out which is the air that you breathe.
44:34Now just four days ago, Delhi was missing from the list of the world's 20 most polluted cities.
44:40Yes, I've said, missing.
44:42Today the national capital is back in pollution spotlight and the numbers should worry every Delhiite this year.
44:48But let me take you back to the 19th of October.
44:51This is right before the share, I remember.
44:5313 of the world's 20 most polluted cities were in India.
44:59Let's put up the list on the screen for our viewers to really see what those top 20 cities were.
45:09In those top 20 cities, you see Bulandşehir ranked at third globally.
45:16You see Agartala was fourth.
45:19Other cities on the top 20 list include Pali in Rajasthan, Muzaffar Nagar in Uttar Pradesh.
45:25You have Burhanpur in Madhya Pradesh, you have Rhotak in Haryana.
45:29But Delhi did not feature in that top 20 list.
45:32This was 19th of October.
45:37Now fast forward to 23rd of October.
45:406.30am, Delhi's AQI stands at 292.
45:46That's the poor category edging towards the very poor zone.
45:50And this is when the timing becomes really significant.
45:53Between these two readings came that the Shaira celebrations.
45:57The burning of firecrackers.
45:59And the familiar season shift towards conditions that can trap pollutants closer to the ground.
46:05Yesterday on 5 Live we told you that during the festival-feated fireworks can contribute far more to certain pollution
46:12components.
46:12Even more than stubble burning.
46:14Look at that. 85% spike in PM2.5 because of firecrackers.
46:19And 4% spike to PM2.5 because of stubble burning.
46:24A 2024 IIT Delhi study attributed around 85% there to PM2.5.
46:31And since the Shaira, Delhi NCR has also moved into grab stage 1 with restrictions and measures aimed at curbing
46:38pollution.
46:39Delhi's Environment Minister Majinder Singh Sirsa has called for citizens to join hands in the fight against pollution.
46:45He has urged people not to take polluting vehicles on the road, curb construction activities and not burn garbage.
46:50But the question is, are these measures enough?
46:54Enough to keep the air from deteriorating further?
46:58With winter approaching, with pollution levels climbing further despite grab restrictions and with the measures on the ground,
47:05are they enough really to prevent another season of hazardous air?
47:11Delhi may have missed the world's most polluted list just 4 days ago.
47:14Imagine that.
47:15Before we burnt all those crackers, we were not on the list.
47:18And right after that, here we are, the most polluted place on the planet.
47:25At the moment, touching 300.
47:34Meanwhile, Europe, it's time to face tough questions.
47:38Well, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has put Europe's climate responsibility under the spotlight,
47:44asking who is responsible for climate crisis in the first place.
47:47Speaking at the Berlin Global Dialogue, Goyal pointed out that India accounts for nearly 17% of the world's population,
47:53yet contributes less than 3% to global emissions.
47:57He questioned Europe's historical contribution to global emissions and contrasted it with India's challenge of expanding clean energy
48:04while meeting the needs of 1.4 billion people.
48:06The minister also challenged Europe in delegates with pointed questions about who was responsible for environmental damage
48:13and where the ozone layer was really damaged.
48:16And now, Goyal's remarks are making waves on social media,
48:19bringing the debate of our climate responsibility, historical emissions, and fairness back into spotlight.
48:26But what about the issue of air pollution?
48:29Take a look.
48:33Who's responsible for this mess in the first place?
48:37In the?
48:37Where did this ozone layer get damaged?
48:41Who sent all that carbon up there?
48:43All of us.
48:45No, I'm sorry.
48:46I support 17% of the world's population.
48:50My contribution to that carbon up there is less than 3%.
48:55You support probably 3% or 4% of the world's population.
49:00And your contribution to that carbon of the mess is 6%.
49:06Is?
49:066%.
49:07I'm sorry, madam.
49:08No, no, he's talking about humilative.
49:10Ah, humilative.
49:11But that's what matters.
49:12It's humilative.
49:14Probably near 20%.
49:17So, the problem was caused by you for good reasons.
49:22You were growing your economies.
49:24You wanted low-cost carbon-based energy.
49:28You blew coal day in and day out so that your energy cost remains low.
49:33But you is not only Europe.
49:34It's also the U.S., right?
49:35Sorry?
49:36It's not only us.
49:36It's also the United States, right?
49:37You're talking about you, you, you, you, you, you, you, that way.
49:45This is the fairness.
49:46This is the fairness argument.
49:48It's a fairness argument.
49:51And even today, as we sit here.