New Delhi regularly ranks among the cities with the most air pollution in the world. Today the Indian capital topped IQAir’s list of major cities with the most polluted air.
Primary schools will be closed from today in New Delhi because of the “dangerous” level of air pollution caused by the open burning of agricultural residues in northern India, which acts additively to emissions from industry and pollution from the road transport network.
“We will close primary schools from tomorrow (Saturday) until the pollution situation improves,” said the head of New Delhi Arvind Kejriwal.
“No child should suffer in any way,” he stressed.
According to Swiss air quality watchdog IQAir, the level of PM 2.5, the most dangerous, was today 25 times higher than the maximum level set by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Every winter the air is colder and a yellowish and toxic smog fueled by clouds from the open burning of agricultural residues, emissions from industry and road transport, stagnates over this city of 20 million people.
New Delhi regularly ranks among the cities with the most air pollution in the world. Today the Indian capital topped IQAir’s list of major cities with the most polluted air.
A 2020 study in the scientific journal Lancet attributed 1.67 million deaths to air pollution in India in 2019, including nearly 17,500 in the country’s capital.
The authorities of the Indian capital regularly announce various plans aimed at reducing pollution, but they do not have much effect.
Widespread burning of agricultural residues in Punjab and other states is banned in principle, but farmers continue to ignore calls for air-friendly practices.
According to India’s air quality monitoring agency, agricultural residue burning was responsible for a third of air pollution in New Delhi today.
This situation has also taken on political dimensions, as New Delhi and the state of Punjab are ruled by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), a rival of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
“This is no time to blame each other,” Kejriwal noted, flanked by Punjab Chief Minister Bhawad Mann.
“That won’t help us find solutions. We can blame them and they can blame us, but that won’t get us anywhere,” he continued, referring to the BJP’s criticism.
Environment Minister Bhupinder Yadav, who is a BJP member, highlighted in a message yesterday, Thursday, on Twitter that “to date, Punjab, an AAP-ruled state, has seen an increase of over 19% in agricultural residue burning compared to by 2021” and noted: “We know who is turning New Delhi into a gas chamber”.
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I am currently a news writer for News Bulletin247 where I mostly cover sports news. I have always been interested in writing and it is something I am very passionate about. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and spending time with my family and friends.
