Smog turns New Delhi into ‘gas chamber’

A public health emergency was declared in Delhi on Tuesday as choking smog forced the closure of schools in the world’s most polluted capital city.

Levels of the most harmful pollutants, known as PM2.5, soared to 703 – more than double the “hazardous” threshold of 300. Authorities warned of worse to come over the next few days.

The Indian Medical Association declared a public health emergency, reports AFP, as it urged city administrators “to make every possible effort to curb this menace”.

The smog is being fed by farmers burning field stubble in Punjab and Haryana.“Delhi has become a gas chamber,” Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted.

“Every year this happens during this part of year. We have to find a solution to crop burning in adjoining states.”

The smog has cut visibility levels, affecting train operations and forcing the closure of one of the runways at Delhi airport, delaying some flights, reports the New Delhi-based Statesman.

The pollution is seeping into living rooms and even the city’s underground metro stations, making it difficult to breathe and turning eyes watery.

Primary schools in the capital will remain closed on Wednesday, with almost 2 million children staying at home. All outdoor activities have been banned at secondary schools.

Authorities also ordered a fourfold hike in parking fees and instructed metro trains to lower fares for at least 10 days, introduce more coaches and ensure frequent services.

But on Tuesday many residents said too little was being done to combat air pollution.“Delhi is becoming unliveable, particularly for children, as the pollution has reached uncontrollable levels,” real estate agent Vipin Malhotra told AFP.

Worse on its way

Winter in Delhi brings cooler air that traps pollutants close to the ground.

The annual spike in smog is also fed by Diwali festival firecrackers and the perennial pollution from diesel engines, coal-fired power plants and industrial emissions.

The Environment Pollution Agency warns that “things are expected to get much worse in the coming days”.

Telecoms giant Airtel has threatened to pull its sponsorship of the November 19 Delhi marathon if authorities fail to improve the situation.

A report in the Lancet medical journal last month said pollution had claimed as many as 2.5 million lives in India in 2015, the highest in the world.