New Delhi, one of the largest urban areas on the planet, consistently ranks among the most polluted cities in the world. For several days now, the level of pollution in the Indian capital has increased considerably: it is already 35 times higher than the maximum level set by the World Health Organization (WHO).
This problem peaks in early winter, around the Hindu festival of Diwali, which coincides with the weeks when tens of thousands of farmers in northern India burn rice stubble.
This practice is a major cause of the pollution that chokes Delhi every year and persists despite authorities’ efforts to persuade farmers to use other land clearing methods and threats of punitive measures.
a toxic fog
Smog, fueled by agricultural fires, industrial emissions and road transportation, is stagnating in the megacity of 30 million people.
“When a bus comes in front of you, it’s like swallowing poison. At this station the pollution is hell. To avoid getting sick, I eat more vegetables, it strengthens the body,” says Raj Kumar, a scooter driver. with Radio France International (RFI).
Other, more fortunate, residents have means to better protect themselves against rising pollution, RFI notes, like Vikrant: “During pollution spikes, I wear a mask, install an air purifier at home, and only travel indoors. vehicle. Or I stay home.”
On October 24, the level of particulate pollutants was 306 AQI (Air Quality Index) in Delhi, according to data provided by the Indian government to the BBC. This Friday there are around 480 ICA at certain control points in the city, the Swiss air quality control company IQAir reports to the British agency Reuters.
“Good air quality ranges between 0 and 50, while readings above 300 are considered dangerous,” says IQAir.
This thick toxic cloud present in Delhi can damage the lungs and be the cause of many respiratory diseases.
Last month, the city of Mumbai, India’s financial capital, also experienced a drastic decline in air quality, surpassing that of Delhi several times, British radio BBC reports.
Schools closed
This Friday, November 3, schools closed in the Indian capital due to the dangerous level of air pollution, materialized by a yellowish and toxic fog, the authorities announced.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced on Thursday evening that all primary schools would be closed in the capital for at least two days.
“In light of rising pollution levels, all public and private primary schools in Delhi will remain closed for the next two days,” Arvind Kejriwal announced on X (ex-Twitter).
The authorities periodically announce different plans to reduce pollution, in particular by suspending construction work, but without much results.
A study by The Lancet, a British medical journal, published in 2020, attributed 1.67 million deaths to air pollution in India a year earlier, of which almost 17,500 in the capital.
India relies heavily on coal for its energy production. The country has seen its per capita emissions increase by 29% in the last seven years and is reluctant to implement policies to phase out polluting fossil fuels.
Source: BFM TV
