New Delhi, Nov. 13 (BNA): Authorities in New Delhi closed schools on Saturday, asked government employees to work from home and banned construction activities as the Indian capital battles toxic smog that has blanketed the city for more than a week.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said schools will completely switch to online classes for a week starting Monday so that children are not exposed to polluted air, German news agency (dpa) reported.
Government officials and employees will also work from home throughout the week while similar advisories have also been issued for private offices.
He added that construction work that contributes to dust pollution will be banned from Monday to Wednesday.
The city government’s decisions came after the Supreme Court criticized the federal and state governments for dangerous pollution and demanded emergency measures, suggesting a two-day shutdown.
Delhi’s environment minister, Gopal Rai, said the burning of crop residues by farmers in neighboring states has deteriorated air quality that has started to deteriorate from Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, on November 4, when people set off firecrackers on a large scale.
Delhi’s air quality index has worsened to “severe” or “hazardous” levels since Friday, with levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) hovering between 430 and 500, six to eight times the limit considered safe by the World Health Organization. (Who is the).
Delhi, with a population of 25 million, has been ranked among the world’s most polluted cities in recent years.
The burning of seasonal crop residues by farmers, along with climatic factors such as a lack of surface winds, increases emissions from heavy traffic, industry, and burning of garbage and fuel, leading to increased air pollution in the city each October and November.
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