NEW DELHI, NOV 18 – The Indian capital, New Delhi, closed schools and switched to online classes today until further notice following toxic smog that worsened and exceeded 60 times the maximum daily limit recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Various government initiatives implemented in stages have failed to make a significant impact on the problem, with the haze linked to thousands of premature deaths each year and adversely affecting the health of children and the elderly.
Pollution levels of PM2.5 – harmful cancer-causing microparticles that enter the bloodstream through the lungs – reached 907 micrograms per cubic meter this morning, according to IQAir monitoring, with readings above 15 in a 24-hour period considered unhealthy by the WHO.
Individual monitoring stations recorded higher levels – one station recorded PM2.5 pollution at 980, 65 times the WHO maximum limit.
“For the past few days, my eyes have been hurting,” said Subodh Kumar, 30, a lanca puller.
“It doesn’t matter if there is pollution or not, I have to be on the road, where else do I want to go?” he said, pausing to eat breakfast at a roadside stall.
“We have no choice to stay indoors. Our livelihood, food, and life are all outside.”
Thick, acrid gray smog enveloped the city, with IQAir classifying the situation as ‘dangerous’.
Every year, the city is covered in toxic smog, which is mostly linked to the burning of straw by nearby farmers to clear their fields for ploughing, as well as smoke from factories and vehicles.
A report by The New York Times this month, based on samples taken over five years, revealed noxious fumes also come from power plants that burn garbage from the city’s garbage mountains. – AFP