Since the beginning of November, the streets of Delhi have been emptied with emptiness. The Indian metropolis has declared an emergency situation. Although the capital of India is one of the most polluted cities in the world, and it is nothing new to the inhabitants, currently the city is facing the worst situation in the last three years.
Extremely High Air Quality Index
The air quality index of more than 990 units was measured. If you spend time outdoors and inhale the polluted air, it’s like smoking 50 cigarettes a day.
An air quality index of more than 500 is classified as a ‘serious plus’.
People and Transport Restrictions
All schools in the Indian capital had to remain closed. Many citizens did not go to work to avoid smog. However, this did not apply to the police, paramedics and other emergency services.
Exposure to such smog poses a risk to anyone moving outdoors. People with respiratory problems are at even greater risk.
Smog caused such poor visibility that some airlines had to cancel flights to and from Delhi.
Pollution Sources
One of the main culprits are gas-powered cars. Therefore, from 4 November for the next 14 days, the government has ordered restrictions of cars on the road. In practice, this meant that every second day on the road, cars alternated with license plates ending in odd or even numbers. Authorities anticipated that about 1.2 million fewer private vehicles would be found on Delhi’s roads.
Other important sources are the combustion of fossil fuels and fine particles produced by fires in non-urban areas that are transmitted by wind. Fires are targeted by farmers to prepare the ground for new crops.
Hopefully, the Indian government will find other solutions to reduce emissions in Delhi. Subsidizing machinery for farmers is insufficient, because it does not reach everyone. Farmers realize that burning the land is harmful to the health and polluting the environment. They have no other means of subsistence yet.
Source and credit: https://www.greenmatters.com/p/air-pollution-delhi, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=or577tuXsb4, pixabay.com
