|
Listen to article
|
Due to the intensifying smog crisis, New Delhi’s government ordered the transition to virtual classrooms on Monday, a decision that will remain in effect until further notice. This is the latest in a series of measures aimed at addressing the critical health threats posed by the hazardous pollution levels choking the city.
Sunday evening saw the levels of PM2.5 pollutants — microscopic particles that pose a significant cancer risk as they infiltrate the bloodstream through the lungs — exceed the World Health Organization’s safe daily limit by a staggering factor of 57. This dangerous spike in pollution further exacerbates the growing health emergency in the region.
By dawn on Monday, the levels of pollutants had risen to a staggering 39 times beyond the established safety limits, as a thick, acrid smog blanketed the city, obscuring visibility and worsening the already dire air quality. The dense haze added to the sense of an environmental emergency, further choking the breath of the megacity’s residents.
Annually, the city becomes shrouded in a dense, acrid smog, the primary culprits being the rampant stubble burning by farmers in surrounding areas, who use the fires to clear land for the next cycle of ploughing.
This seasonal haze is further exacerbated by pollutants released from industrial activities and the constant stream of vehicle emissions, turning the city’s air into a toxic cocktail.
To prevent the air quality from sinking to even more dangerous levels, local authorities have enacted these restrictions, hoping to mitigate the effects of the worsening environmental crisis and safeguard public well-being.
Authorities hope by keeping children at home, traffic will be significantly reduced.
“Physical classes shall be discontinued for all students, apart from Class 10 and 12,” Chief Minister Atishi, who uses one name, said in a statement late Sunday.
Primary schools were already ordered to cease in-person classes on Thursday, with a raft of further restrictions imposed on Monday, including limiting diesel-powered trucks and construction.
The government urged children and the elderly, as well as those with lung or heart issues “to stay indoors as much as possible”.
Many in the city cannot afford air filters, nor do they have homes they can effectively seal from the misery of foul-smelling air blamed for thousands of premature deaths.
The orders came into force on Monday morning. New Delhi and the surrounding metropolitan area, home to more than 30 million people, consistently tops world rankings for air pollution in winter.
Cooler temperatures and slow-moving winds worsen the situation by trapping deadly pollutants each winter, stretching from mid-October until at least January.
India’s Supreme Court last month ruled that clean air was a fundamental human right, ordering both the central government and state-level authorities to take action.
