New Delhi closes schools, bans construction as air pollution hits worst levels of the season

NEW DELHI – Authorities in India’s capital closed schools, suspended construction and banned non-essential trucks from entering the city on Monday after air pollution jumped to its worst levels of the season.

Residents of New Delhi awoke to thick, toxic smog enveloping the city of about 33 million people as air quality became increasingly hazardous. It has been upgraded to severe, according to SAFAR, the country’s main environmental protection agency that measures fine particulate matter in the air that can penetrate deep into the lungs.

A deadly haze shrouded monuments and high-rise buildings in the capital, and visibility was so low that airlines warned of delays.

In several areas of the city, pollution levels exceeded the safe level recommended by the World Health Organization by more than 50 times. According to forecasts, poor air quality will continue throughout the week.

Air pollution levels in northern India rise every year, especially in winter, as farmers burn crop residues on farmland. Combustion coincides with cooler temperatures that trap smoke in the air. The smoke then drifts into cities, where car emissions add to the pollution.

Emissions from industry and the burning of coal to generate electricity are also linked to the pollution that has been ticks steadily upwards in recent weeks.

Starting Monday, authorities began implementing the fourth phase of the differentiated response action plan, or GRAP 4, depending on the level of air pollution. The previous phases of the plan were already in place, and phase 4 involves tighter curbs.

Lessons for all grades, except 10 and 12, will be held online, and trucks will not enter the city, except for those carrying essential items. Some old diesel-powered cars were banned from the city limits, and all construction work was halted. Authorities also urged children, the elderly and others with chronic illnesses or respiratory problems to avoid going outdoors as much as possible.

Last weekend, farmers in the neighboring state of Uttar Pradesh burned their fields, sending plumes of gray smoke that were likely blown by the wind to New Delhi and other nearby areas. Despite the poisonous air, many residents of the capital continued their usual activities, including morning walks in the beloved garden of the city of Lodhi.

“Everybody has a sore throat,” said Sanjay Goel, a 51-year-old shopkeeper in New Delhi. – They should ban the burning of crop residues… it’s just smoke everywhere.”

Deterioration of air quality in the capital also caused indignation of residents on social networks. Many complained of headaches and hacking coughs, describing the city as “apocalyptic” and a “gas chamber.” Others called on officials to solve the health care problem once and for all. Several studies have shown that more than a million Indians die each year from pollution-related diseases.

The authorities appealed similar measures in the past and at times deployed water sprinklers and smog cannons in an attempt to control the fog. But critics say a long-term solution is needed that significantly reduces the pollution itself, rather than mitigating the effects after it has already hit the region.