New Delhi's emergency plan kicks in as air gets dangerously thick
New Delhiʼs government enforces strict measures to fight dangerous air pollution levels including truck bans and school closures. Weather conditions and farm fires make breathing harder for cityʼs residents
Last winter the air quality in New Delhi reached critical levels forcing officials to roll-out strict anti-pollution rules (which shows how the city deals with its yearly smog problems)
The local administration announced a set of quick-action steps: diesel trucks cant enter the city‚ schools must switch to online classes‚ and office-workers should work from home. Road-cleaning teams got orders to spray water mixed with dust-control chemicals; while mechanical sweepers would clean the streets
The citys air quality index hit 465 — thats in the severe-plus range. Weather experts say low winds and cold air trapped all the bad stuff in the air. The temperature dropped to about 14°C that monday which didnt help the situation
Around 38% of New Delhis air problems come from nearby farmers who burn whats left after rice harvest in Punjab and Haryana states. This mix of smoke fog and city pollution creates a thick grey blanket over the capital when winter comes. The weather office said these bad-air conditions would stay until that weekend
- Groups that should stay inside:
- Kids
- Old people
- Anyone with breathing problems
- People with heart issues
- Those who have other long-term health issues
The government team made an eight-point plan and asked everyone to follow it — especially those at-risk folks should avoid going outside
