You can’t breathe in New Delhi. The Indian capital, which has a population of over 28 million, has been surrounded by a thick blanket of smog for days, which not only limits visibility on the streets, but also causes breathing difficulties, itching and eye irritation for many people. For this reason, the local government has ordered the closure of all primary schools, banned the movement of all polluting vehicles and stopped non-essential construction work. Delhi has been at the top of the world’s most polluted cities for years, but in recent days the situation has become even more worrying than normal. Today, Friday November 3, the Air Quality Index (IQA) reached the value of 500, the highest expected value from the World Health Organization tables and, above all, ten times higher than the limit considered safe for the health of citizens.
The rapid worsening of air pollution in the city appears to be due to the activities of farmers in neighboring states of Haryana and Punjab who are burning crop waste. Last Sunday, over a thousand farm fires were recorded, an increase of 740%. The direction of the wind and the drop in temperature created a deadly recipe, drawing pollutant particles into New Delhi and trapping them in the air. According to a recent study from the University of Chicago, air pollution in the Indian capital is so high that it could shorten the life expectancy of its residents by an average of 11.9 years. In recent years, the local government has responded to this situation by building two “smog towers,” each costing more than $2 million, that were intended to purify the air but are considered ineffective by most scientists.
Photo credit: EPA/Harish Tyagi
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