India: New Delhi closes schools, bans construction as air pollution reaches severe category

NEW DELHI – Authorities in India’s capital closed schools, halted construction, and banned non-essential trucks from entering the city on Monday as air pollution rose into the severe category, according to SAFAR, the country’s main environmental agency.

Residents of New Delhi woke up to thick, toxic smog enveloping the city of around 33 million. The deadly haze covered monuments and high-rise buildings, with visibility so low that airlines warned of delays.

In several areas of the city, pollution levels were more than 50 times higher than the World Health Organization’s recommended safe limit, and forecasts say the poor air quality will continue throughout the week.

Air pollution in northern India rises every year, particularly in winter, as farmers burn crop residue in agricultural areas. The burning coincides with colder temperatures, which trap the smoke in the air. The smoke is then blown into cities, where auto emissions add to the pollution.

Emissions from industries and the burning of coal to produce electricity are also linked to the pollution, which has been steadily ticking up in recent weeks.

Starting Monday, authorities began enforcing stage 4 of a graded response action plan, or GRAP 4, based on the severity of the air pollution. Earlier stages of the plan were already in place, and stage 4 includes stricter curbs.

Classes for all grades except 10 and 12 will be held online, and only trucks carrying essential goods will be allowed to enter the city. Meanwhile, older, diesel-powered vehicles have been banned, and all construction activities have been suspended. Authorities have also urged children, the elderly, and those with chronic illnesses or respiratory conditions to stay indoors as much as possible.

Over the weekend, farmers in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh state burnt their fields, releasing plumes of grey smoke that winds likely carried into New Delhi and other nearby areas.

“Everyone has a sore throat,” said Sanjay Goel, a 51-year-old shopkeeper in New Delhi. “They should ban crop residue burning … it’s just smoke everywhere.”

The worsening air quality in the capital also sparked outrage from residents on social media, describing the city as “apocalyptic” and a “gas chamber.”

Many complained of headaches and hacking coughs, urging officials to solve the public health crisis once and for all, and calling for a long-term solution that drastically reduces pollution itself instead of actions that aim to mitigate the effects after it has already plagued the region.

Several studies have estimated more than a million Indians die each year from pollution-related diseases.