Delhi smog: Schools and colleges shut as pollution worsens
Nov. 17, 2021, BBC News

Authorities in the Indian capital, Delhi, have shut all
schools and colleges indefinitely amid the worsening
levels of air pollution. Construction work has also been
banned until 21 November but an exception has been made
for transport and defence-related projects. Only 5 of
the 11 coal-based power plants in the city have been
allowed to operate. A toxic haze has smothered Delhi
since the festival of Diwali.

The levels of PM2.5 - tiny particles that can clog people's
lungs - in Delhi are far higher than WHO's safety guidelines.
Several parts of the city recorded figures close to or
higher than 400 on Tuesday, which is categorised as "severe".

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A figure between zero & 50 is considered "good", & between
51 & 100 is "satisfactory", acc. to the the air quality
index or AQI.

Some schools had already shut last week because of pollution
& the Delhi govt said it was mulling over a lockdown to
improve air quality as dense clouds of smog engulfed the city.

A mix of factors like vehicular & industrial emissions, dust
& weather patterns make Delhi the world's most polluted
capital. The air turns especially toxic in winter months as
farmers in neighbouring states burn crop stubble. And fireworks
during the festival of Diwali, which happens at the same time,
only worsen the air quality. Low wind speed also plays a part
as it traps the pollutants in the lower atmosphere.

A sense of deja vu: By Geeta Pandey, BBC News, Delhi
=======================================
Every year as winter approaches, there's a sense of deja vu
for us living in Delhi. The morning skies take on an ominous
grey colour, we complain of stuffy nose & itchy eyes, &
hospitals start to fill up with people complaining of
wheezing & breathing difficulties. Those of us who can afford
it, rush to buy expensive air purifiers. The mere act of
breathing in Delhi becomes hazardous.

The city routinely tops the list of "world's most polluted
capitals" & we obsessively start checking apps that provide
a reading of the air quality index. We look at the levels
of PM2.5, the lung-damaging tiny particles in the air that
can exacerbate a host of health issues, including cancer &
cardiac problems, & PM10 - slightly larger particles, but
still pretty damaging.

Levels of PM2.5 below 50 are considered "good" & under 100
"satisfactory". Right now, it's 363 in Delhi - in some
areas, it's almost 400. In the suburb of Noida, it's
nearly 500.

Every year, as the air turns murky, the Indian Supreme Court
hauls the state & federal govts into court, asking them what
they intend to do to clean up the air. On Tuesday, after a
prodding from the court, the authorities took some action.

But these measures are like putting a bandage on a bullet
hole - they've been tried in the past & have made little
difference to the city's air in the long term. Experts say
cleaning up the air requires drastic measures that aren't a
priority for the country's leaders. They warn that at the
onset of winter next year, we'll be back where we are now.

This year, the pollution has become so dire that it prompted
a stern warning from India's Supreme Court, which directed
state & federal govts to take "imminent & emergency" measures
to tackle the problem.

Following the hearing, a meeting was called by Delhi's
Commission for Air Quality Management and emergency
measures were announced.

Other measures announced by the panel include a ban on the
entry of trucks in Delhi & the neighbouring states of Uttar
Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana & Rajasthan until 21 November,
except those carrying essential commodities.

The panel also directed Delhi & other states to "encourage"
private offices to allow 50% of their employees to work
from home during the period to cut down vehicle emissions
& dust levels.

India's pollution problem is not just limited to Delhi.
Indian cities routinely dominate global pollution rankings
& bad air kills over a million people every year, a report
by US research group, the Energy Policy Institute at the
U. of Chicago (EPIC), said. It added that north India breathes
"pollution levels that are 10 times worse than those found
anywhere else in the world" &, over time, these high levels
have expanded to cover other parts of the country as well.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-59258910