Toxic Smog Blanket Delhi In A Choking Haze

AFP/APP

New Delhi: Indian Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that in light of the rising pollution levels, all government and private primary schools in Delhi will remain closed for the next 2 days as a noxious grey smog engulfed the megacity and made life a misery for its 30 million inhabitants.

According to monitoring firm IQ Air, levels of the most dangerous PM2.5 particles – so tiny they can enter the bloodstream – were on Friday almost 35 times the daily maximum recommended by the World Health Organisation.

Delhi, one of the largest urban areas on the planet, is also regularly ranked as one of the world’s most polluted cities.

A Lancet study in 2020 attributed 1.67 million deaths to air pollution in India during the previous year, including almost 17,500 in the capital.

According to the University of Chicago Energy Policy Institute August report, the average city resident could die nearly 12 years earlier than expected due to air pollution.

India is heavily reliant on polluting coal for energy generation. Its per capita coal emissions have risen 29 per cent in the past seven years and it has shied away from policies to phase down the dirty fossil fuel.

Eye-stinging and lung-burning smog peak from October to February, when colder air traps pollution, with residents advised to wear face masks outside at all times.

Authorities regularly announce different plans to reduce pollution, for example, by halting construction work, but to little effect.

India is hosting the Cricket World Cup and organisers have banned fireworks at matches in Mumbai and Delhi to avoid compounding hazardous air pollution levels.

Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are due to play in Delhi on Monday, with little likelihood of the air clearing for their match. India captain Rohit Sharma told reporters Wednesday that the situation is not ideal for the tournament.