New Delhi: Authorities in New Delhi on Saturday shut schools,asked government employees to work from home and banned construction activity as the Indian capital fights a toxic smog which has blanketed the city for over a week.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said schools will completely shift to online classes for a week starting Monday so children are not exposed to polluted air.
Government officials and employees will also work from home for th eweek while private offices were also issued a similar advisory.
Construction work, which contributes to dust pollution, will be banned from Monday to Wednesday, he added.
The city government’s decisions came after the Supreme Court excoriated the federal and state governments for hazardous pollution and demanded emergency measures, suggesting a two-day lockdown.
Delhi’s Environment Minister Gopal Rai said crop stubble burning by farmers in neighbouring states had worsened the air quality, which started deteriorating from Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, on November 4, when people burst fire-crackers on a large scale.
The Air Quality Index in Delhi worsened to “severe” or “hazardous”levels since Friday, with fine particulate matter (PM2.5) levels hovering between 430 and 500, that is six to eight times the limit deemed safe by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Delhi, with 25 million inhabitants, has been ranked among the world’s most polluted cities in recent years.
Seasonal crop stubble burning by farmers, along with climatic factors like lack of surface winds, add to emissions from heavy traffic,industry and the burning of garbage and fuel, to spike air pollution in the city every October and November. — dpa
