Authorities in New Delhi and nearby regions have ordered school closures and the shutdown of some coal-based power plants as alarming levels of air pollution blanketed the Indian capital and neighboring states in the past few weeks.
Barely a fortnight into opening of schools after COVID-19 ravaged New Delhi in two deadly waves, schools will now again close due to emergency measures prompted by thick smog.
Delhi administration officials have been asked to allow at least 50 percent of their staff to work from home at least until Nov 21. Similar directions have been issued to private offices to help cut down vehicle emissions and dust levels.
The local government has also imposed a temporary ban on construction and demolition activities, with exceptions made for transport and defence-related projects. Delhi government said it was mulling over a lockdown to improve air quality as toxic smog has enveloped the national capital region since the festival of Diwali earlier in November.
The Commission of Air Quality Management, a wing of the federal environment ministry, has recommended the closure of educational institutions among several steps to keep people indoors in New Delhi. Neighboring states like Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan have also been asked to take similar measures.
Dependence on coal, which generates pollution, has also been brought down. Only five out of the 11 coal-based power plants in New Delhi and surrounding regions have been allowed to operate for the time being.
Other measures include a ban on the entry of trucks in Delhi and the neighboring states until Nov 21, except those carrying essential commodities.
The measures came after India's top court directed Delhi and the federal government to take strict measures to contain the toxic smog engulfing the world's most polluted city, especially during mornings. Delhi's air quality remained in the 'severe' category for at least 10 consecutive days as of Nov 19.
Levels of dangerous particles in the air were recorded above 400 micrograms per cubic meter in some parts of the national capital on Nov 16, according to the federal ministry of earth sciences' System of Air Quality & Weather Forecasting & Research project. The World Health Organization designates the safe level as 25.
The air quality in the national capital remained in the very poor category with its index standing at 344 at 8 am. on Nov 18, data from the Central Pollution Control Board, or CPCB, showed. That, however, marked an improvement from the previous day's index value of 375.
A figure between zero and 50 is considered "good", and between 51 and 100 is "satisfactory", under the air quality index.
The Supreme Court, India's top court, on Nov 17 asked the central government and the states involved to follow directions issued by The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas.
Children are developing asthma-like symptoms and upper respiratory tract infections due to premature assault of hazardous pollution levels on their lungs, doctors in Delhi have warned.
Air pollution triggers serious health problems in children and causes irreparable and irreversible damage, said Arvind Kumar, chairman of the Institute of Chest Surgery at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram, a bustling city on the outskirts of Delhi.
"At least 10 to 15 patients are being admitted into hospital every day. The patients are complaining of wheezing, breathing difficulties, serious pain in their chest, sleeping disorder and metallic taste in their mouth due to air pollution," said Rashmi Sama, a pulmonologist at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in New Delhi.
Doctors are advising people not to venture outside for the next few days, unless there is urgent work, until the air quality improves.
The CAQM said in a statement that the adverse air quality in the Delhi-NCR is a combined result of crop stubble burning in neighboring states, vehicular pollution, pollution after Diwali, dip in temperature, and other local factors. The air quality was also impacted by a dust storm moving in from the southwesterly direction of the Thar desert, it said.
Smoke from stubble burning travels to New Delhi, leading to a surge in pollution in the city of more than 20 million people. Experts have pointed out that indiscriminate use of fire crackers, during the festival of Diwali, which took place at the same time, deteriorated the air quality further.
Indian cities often dominate global pollution rankings and bad air kills more than a million people in the country every year, a report by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago, has said.
North India breathes "pollution levels that are 10 times worse than those found anywhere else in the world", the report said, adding that over time, these high levels have expanded to cover other parts of the country as well.
Environmental experts said the measures taken by authorities will make little difference to improve Delhi's air quality in the long run. Activist Subhas Dutta has alleged that drastic measures that are needed to address the dirty-air problem are not a priority for the country's leaders.