India’s capital closed schools and construction sites again this Monday and banned the entry of non-essential trucks, after air pollution in New Delhi reached its worst level this winter.
Toward Classes for all years, except 10 and 12, will be held onlineand No trucks will be allowed to enter the city. except those transporting essential items. Some Older diesel vehicles were banned in the capital..
New Delhi authorities also urged Children, the elderly and other people with chronic illnesses or respiratory problems should avoid leaving the house as much as possible.
The residents of the capital woke up with a thick and toxic smoke enveloping the city of around 33 million people as air quality became increasingly dangerous.
Air pollution has reached the serious category, according to India’s top environmental agency, which measures tiny particles in the air that can penetrate deep into the lungs.
The smoke reduced visibility to just 150 meters near the Indira Gandhi International Airport, which serves the capital, causing flight cancellations and delays at train stations.
In several areas of New Delhi, Pollution levels were more than 50 times higher than the safety limit recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).
According to forecasts, poor air quality is expected to continue throughout the week.
Every year at the beginning of winter, the Indian capital is enveloped by thick fog formed by industrial emissions and road traffic, as well as smoke from seasonal agricultural fires.
Authorities estimate that almost 38% of the pollution recorded in New Delhi this year comes from stubble burning or agricultural fires in neighboring states such as Punjab and Haryana.
The efforts of the Indian authorities to reduce pollution have been in vain.
“We still cannot respond to the emergency,” Sunil Dahiya of the non-governmental organization Envirocatalysts told the France-Presse news agency last week.
“As we have not yet been able to change our practices in terms of transport, electricity production or waste management, even limited emissions are still too high,” he added.
According to the WHO, Air pollution can cause cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, as well as lung cancer.
This pollution smog, known as ‘smog’, is responsible for thousands of premature deaths each year, documented in numerous scientific studies.
A study published in June concluded that air pollution was responsible for 11.5% of deaths in New Delhi, or 12,000 deaths a year.
Source: Observadora
