New Delhi, Nov 18 (EFE).- People in New Delhi woke up to severe levels of air pollution on Monday, with a thick layer of smog – a mixture of toxic smoke and fog – engulfing the Indian capital, where maximum emergency measures have been implemented, which includes suspension of classes and industrial activities, among other things.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 485 in the morning, falling within the maximum category in the standard measurement scale, a reading classified as extremely serious with severe health implications. This is the worst level of pollution recorded this season.
The smog reduced visibility to a minimum, dropping to an alarming 150 meters at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport at 5am, leading to the cancellation of flights and delays at train stations.
“Fog is currently affecting visibility in Delhi, which may result in slow moving traffic and delays in flight schedules. We recommend allowing extra travel time and checking flight status before starting your journey,” Indigo, a major domestic airline in the country, said in its travel advisory.
The authorities have implemented Stage 4 – the highest and strictest – of its GRAP anti-pollution plan, which limits commercial and industrial activities, and recommends online classes and teleworking to avoid outdoor exposure.
From Monday, all trucks have been banned from entering Delhi, except those carrying essential goods or those using clean fuels.
Non-essential light commercial vehicles from outside Delhi are prohibited, with exceptions for electric vehicles, and those carrying essential goods.
The GRAP-4 plan includes the suspension of face-to-face classes in all schools, and also encourages public and private offices to have 50 percent of their staff work from home.
The emergency plan also suspends all construction activities, including public projects, and gives local authorities the right to suspend any other commercial activity.
Nearly 38 percent of Delhi’s pollution this year is estimated to originate from stubble burning, or agricultural fires, in neighboring states, especially Punjab and Haryana. EFE
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