Noxious air from New Delhi causes curbs, schools go online

The Indian capital suffered a third day of very poor air quality as thick smog enveloped the capital, forcing local authorities to impose speed bumps and order schools to switch to online classes.

New Delhi’s air quality index has been “hovering in the ‘severe’ category since November 13 due to heavy fog and unfavorable meteorological conditions across the Indo-Gangetic plain,” according to the Air Quality Management Commission, which oversees the wider urban region. an order on Thursday.

The forecast indicates that air quality in the city will remain at the “higher end of the ‘Very Poor’ category, it added, with stricter restrictions aimed at reducing pollution being imposed from Friday.

The Commission has announced measures such as banning construction excavation and demolition, and road rehabilitation, among several other pollution-causing activities.

Other efforts include mechanized sweeping of roads, daily sprinkling of water along with dust suppressants before peak hours and encouraging public transport travel outside peak hours, the order said.

The world’s second most populous urban area, home to about 33 million people, has risen to the list of the world’s most polluted cities due to a combination of vehicle emissions, agricultural fires and low seasonal wind speeds.

Nearly half of families in and around New Delhi sought medical care for respiratory ailments linked to severe pollution, a recent survey found. About 81% of respondents reported that at least one family member had an illness related to toxic air.