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The Indian capital with its 30 million inhabitants was once again the most polluted city in the world on Sunday.
Published on May 11, 2023 10:43 am Updated on May 11, 2023 11:04 am
Reading time: 1 min
A view of a highway warning that New Delhi, India, is choking under pollution, November 5, 2023. (ARUN SANKAR / AFP)
New Delhi is closed. Authorities in the Indian capital, choked by a mix of air pollution and smoke, announced on Sunday, November 5, that schools would remain closed for another week. Every autumn, the city, already one of the most polluted metropolises in the world during normal times, experiences almost unbreathable air when pollution is compounded by smoke from the surrounding countryside where farmers burn their stubble.
“As pollution levels remain very high, primary schools in Delhi will remain closed until November 10,” Delhi state education minister said on X, adding that secondary schools could “conduct classes via video if desired.”
Almost 1.7 million deaths in 2019
The Indian capital with its 30 million inhabitants was once again the most polluted city in the world on Sunday, according to the company IQAir, a specialist in pollution measurements. Levels of PM2.5 microparticles, which are so small they can penetrate the blood, reached nearly 40 times the maximum recommended by the World Health Organization on Sunday, according to IQAir.
A study published by medical journal The Lancet in 2020 estimated that pollution in India caused nearly 1.7 million deaths in the country last year, including 17,500 in the capital.
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