Dangerous levels of air pollution forced the government of New Delhi last night, Tuesday night, to close the schools of the Indian capital until recently and to invite its residents to work from home.
Air quality deteriorates severely every winter in this city of more than 20 million inhabitants, one of the most polluted in the world, which is covered by a cloud of pollution.
On Saturday, the municipality had ordered the closure of schools for a week and had banned any operation of the construction sites for four days.
Last night the committee in charge of air quality in New Delhi ordered the closure of schools until further notice.
Heavy vehicles are not allowed to enter the Indian capital until November 21, with the exception of those carrying basic necessities, and work is suspended at most construction sites, according to the decree.
Anti-pollution machines and sprayers will be put into operation at least three times a day in the neighborhoods most affected by pollution.
Also, 6 of the 11 thermal power plants located within a radius of 300 kilometers were called to stop operating until further notice.
The committee also announced that at least half of the workers should be put to teleworking and that private sector workers are being asked to do the same.
The measures were taken 24 hours after the New Delhi government decided not to accept a request from the Supreme Court for “quarantine due to pollution”.
This air pollution comes from, among other things, from the smoke from the burning of agricultural residues in neighboring states.
The government, however, had argued in the Supreme Court that industry was the main cause of the pollution and that the means of transport and dust from the roads and construction sites followed.
This week the level of PM2.5 microparticles, which are the most dangerous to health, exceeded 400 in several districts of the city.
Last week, that was up to 500, 30 times the World Health Organization’s maximum.
According to the medical review The Lancet, in 2020 about 17,500 people died in New Delhi due to air pollution.
The Indian capital has the highest air pollution in the world, according to a report by the Swiss organization IQAir published in 2020.
SOURCE:
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Source From: Capital
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