With air quality of Delhi and the NCR area plunging due to soaring air pollution, foreign delegates at the 7th Session of the Conference of Parties (COP7) to World Health Organisation (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which kicked off at Greater Noida on Monday, were seen wearing protective masks.
Giovanni Castillo, Ambassador of Guatemala said given the present situation he had to get a protective mask from the Embassy while coming to the conference venue. "I came from the Caribbean where the air is clean and fresh. Given the kind of pollution in the national Capital, I am wearing the protective mask," said Castillo.
Another delegate from Syria, who refused to be identified, was also seen coming out of the bus with her mouth and nose covered with a cloth.
She said she was informed about the bad quality of air which is why she used the cloth to protect her mouth and nose as a precautionary measure. Many other delegates were seen wearing protective masks while arriving at the venue.