NEW DELHI (AP) — Authorities in India’s capital shut schools, halted construction and banned non-essential trucks from entering the city on Monday after air pollution shot up to its worst level this season.
Residents of New Delhi woke up to thick, toxic smog enveloping the city of some 33 million as the air quality became increasingly hazardous. It rose further into the severe category, according to SAFAR, the country’s main environmental agency, which measures tiny particulate matter in the air that can enter deep into the lungs.
Air pollution in northern India rises every year, particularly in winter, as farmers burn crop residue in agricultural areas. The burning coincides with colder temperatures, which trap the smoke in the air. The smoke is then blown into cities, where auto emissions add to the pollution.
A few years ago I had a connecting flight through the New Delhi international airport. The air pollution was insane! Looking out the windows was a thick haze that you couldn’t even see the runways of planes taking off and landing through it. Further that haze was also inside the airport terminal. It had an orange tinge to it and hung visually about 20 feet above the floor. Walking from gate to gate had that haze and smelled like you were walking through some heavy industrial factory. I was only there for a few hours. I can’t imagine what life must be like for people that have to live there.