New Delhi Closes Primary Schools Amid Dangerous Air Pollution Levels

Authorities in New Delhi have closed primary schools on Friday as a precautionary measure due to the city’s first air pollution peak of the season. For the fourth consecutive day, the air quality was deemed “dangerous” in several areas of the 30-million-strong metropolis, with high levels of toxic microparticles, according to the Air Quality Index (AQI).

Local authorities announced the closure of primary schools until further notice, halted construction work, banned the oldest diesel vehicles from the streets, and began spraying water in the most polluted areas to reduce particulate matter.

Under the protocol set by the authorities, students from the closed schools will continue their lessons remotely.

At the start of each winter, New Delhi is engulfed in a thick smog created by industrial emissions, vehicle exhaust, and seasonal agricultural burning. This pollution is responsible for thousands of premature deaths each year, as confirmed by numerous scientific studies.