Air pollution in India‘s capital, Delhi, has soared extremely severely, choking residents and engulfing the city in thick smog.
At 15:00 IST (09:30 BST), pollution levels reached a staggering 1,500 on the Air Quality Index (AQI), as reported by tech company IQAir. This figure is 15 times higher than the threshold the World Health Organisation (WHO) deemed acceptable for respiratory health.
Flight services have been disrupted due to toxic air, leading authorities to close schools and ban construction work in the city.
Just weeks after Lahore, located in neighboring Pakistan, reported pollution levels exceeding 1,000, this development emerged.
Experts are raising alarms about the potential deterioration of the pollution crisis in Delhi shortly, suggesting that more stringent measures may be required to address the city’s environmental challenges.
According to the WHO, air with AQI values above 300 is hazardous to health.
India’s pollution control authority has designated the air quality in Delhi as “severe plus” following measurements that exceeded 450 on Monday morning.
The city has implemented several measures, including closing schools and stopping construction activities. Additionally, non-essential trucks have been barred from entering Delhi, and offices have been instructed to have 50% of their workforce operate remotely.
In a significant move last week, the government imposed a ban on all activities related to the use of coal and firewood, alongside restrictions on diesel generator usage for non-emergency services.
Each year, the winter months from October to January bring hazardous air quality challenges to Delhi, northern states of India, and parts of Pakistan. A combination of plummeting temperatures, smoke, dust, low wind speeds, vehicular emissions, and the burning of crop stubble exacerbates this seasonal struggle.
Each year, the government enacts pollution control measures during this period.
Despite efforts, the pollution crisis in Delhi persists.
On Monday, Delhi’s Chief Minister Atishi declared that northern India faces a “medical emergency” as stubble burning persists unabated across the region, especially in the adjacent states of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been accused of failing to implement measures to address the escalating issue, which has intensified over the past five years.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which governs Delhi, of failing to control the pollution levels in the city.
As the situation unfolds, Delhi residents struggle to breathe amidst deteriorating air quality.
Upon waking, I found myself grappling with an itchy and painful throat. Despite the presence of two air purifiers, the indoor air quality remains far from breathable. Children are breathing in a gas chamber’, one user expressed on X (formerly Twitter).
A different individual has urged a “peaceful mass protest on the streets.” “The air we breathe poses a lethal threat,” he stated.
