Air pollution in New Delhi has shot up with the onset of winter. A top medical body has termed it as a ‘public health emergency’ and a Supreme Court-appointed panel has recommended emergency measures such as reduction in metro rail fares and four times increase in vehicle parking charges to discourage car use.
The US embassy recorded air quality index of 703 for PM2.5, which beyond the value of 300 is considered hazardous. Dr Arvind Kumar of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital has described the air quality to be equivalent to ‘Smoking 50 Cigarettes A Day’.
The government has ordered junior schools to shut down and has asked people, mainly children and elderly to avoid outdoor activities such as morning walks. Experts blame automobile emissions, road and construction dust, crop burning, firecrackers and the weather for this spike. The CISF has ordered 15000 masks to be used by their personnel at key areas such as the airport. Delhi’s deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia has suggested that odd-even policy may be applied if condition worsens.
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