Farmers work amidst smog in a field on the bank of the Yamuna river in New Delhi, India, on November 8, 2022. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi
NEW DELHI — A smoky haze hangs over India’s northern plains and its capital, New Delhi, every year as winter sets in, raising fears for the health of many millions of people as authorities order fixes that do little to clear the air.
In recent days, the Air Quality Index in the capital of 20 million people, where few use air purifiers or wear masks to protect themselves, has risen above 350 on a scale of 500, near “very poor” levels, according to the SAFAR monitoring agency.
Anything above 60 is considered unhealthy.
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