Residents in the Indian capital New Delhi and neighbouring areas continue to reel from severe pollution level, prompting authorities to shut primary schools and order additional measures.
An air quality and weather bulletin issued by the government on Monday said that the air quality over Delhi remained in the “severe category” with the Air Quality Index remaining at 454 on Sunday.
It said the air quality is likely to be in severe category until November 9.
Delhi’s Education Minister Atishi Marlena announced that primary schools in Delhi will stay closed till November 10.
Air quality in the range between 0-50 has minimal impact on health. Severe category air quality may cause respiratory impact even on healthy people, according to the government.
For many days now, residents in the capital have been waking up to a thick layer of smog that has engulfed the city and the neighbouring areas, with many people even complaining of irritation in the eyes and sore throats.
Vehicle restrictions
India's Delhi city will also restrict use of vehicles for a week between November 13 and 20 to curb air pollution, the environment minister of the national capital territory government said on Monday.
The rule would allow vehicles with odd number plates to ply on odd dates and similarly vehicles with even registration numbers will be allowed on road on alternate days.
The Federal Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change said on Sunday that unfavorable meteorological conditions, very high incidents of farm fires and low-speed north-westerly winds moving the pollutants to Delhi are the major causes for a sudden spike in the Air Quality Index.
The farm fires are caused by crop stubble burning in neighboring states.
Air pollution in New Delhi has become a seasonal problem for the last many years. The air quality gets worse mostly during winter from November to January.
Several studies have pointed out that air pollution in India has contributed to a large number of deaths.
The Lancet Planetary Health journal in a study revealed that pollution resulted in more than 2.3 million premature deaths in India in 2019.
