Date published: 18/11/2024 – 03:38

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Levels of PM2.5 pollutants (dangerous cancer-causing microparticles that enter the bloodstream through the lungs) were recorded 57 times above the World Health Organization’s recommended daily maximum on Sunday evening.

They stood nearly 39 times above warning limits at dawn on Monday, with thick gray and acrid smoke choking the city.

The city is shrouded in acrid smog every year, which is primarily blamed on farmers in neighboring areas burning stubble to clear their fields for plowing, as well as smoke from factories and traffic.

The restrictions were put in place by city officials “in order to prevent further deterioration” of air quality.

Officials hope that by keeping children at home, traffic will decrease significantly.

Prime Minister Atishi, who uses a name, said in a statement late on Sunday: “Physical classes will be stopped for all students except Grades 10 and 12.” he said.

Primary schools were ordered to stop face-to-face classes on Thursday, with a series of other restrictions imposed on Monday, including limits on diesel-powered trucks and construction.

The government has urged children and the elderly, as well as those with lung or heart problems, to “stay indoors as much as possible”.

Many people in the city cannot afford air filters and do not have homes that can effectively insulate them from the misery of foul-smelling air blamed for thousands of premature deaths.

The orders went into effect Monday morning.

Home to more than 30 million people, New Delhi and the surrounding metropolitan area consistently top the world rankings for air pollution during the winter months.

Colder temperatures and slow-moving winds make matters worse by trapping deadly pollutants each winter from mid-October through at least January.

India’s Supreme Court ruled last month that clean air is a fundamental human right, ordering both the central government and state-level authorities to take action.

© 2024 AFP