

Reliance on fossil fuelsĪir pollution, primarily from the burning of fossil fuels, is a serious problem in Indian cities. Ganguly told DW that the city needed "more significant" reductions in emissions from all sources, especially during the winter period. "But as we get deeper into winter, particularly the December-January period, you'll find that … people who don't have access to electric heat, they rely on biomass for their space heating needs," she added, referring to fuels such as wood, cow dung or crop residues. "Close to 25, 30% of the pollution can actually be attributed to stubble burning," said Tanushree Ganguly, an air quality researcher with the New Delhi-based Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW).

The city's pollution problem is especially bad in late fall and early winter, when prevailing weather patterns mean pollutants from heavy industry and coal-fired power plants, in addition to smoke from burning crop waste in the neighboring states of Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, smother the megacity in toxic gray smog. I hope there is some improvement now that the court has intervened." Many factors behind air pollution "The worst affected are children who have to go to school in this toxic weather. "Many families are now experiencing one or more ailments due to polluted air in Delhi," said Promilla Bhutani, a pediatrician with offices in the city's south. A recent study by Environmental Research magazine showed that air pollution is the cause of more than 2.5 million deaths in India each year. How can we continue to live like this if the air is so bad?"Īir quality in New Delhi, regularly ranked as one of the world's most polluted cities, was nearing the upper limits of the federal pollution scale on Tuesday - a "severe" level that "affects healthy people and seriously impacts those with existing diseases," according to the state Central Pollution Control Board. "Thanks to air pollution, my kids always get a runny nose and cough. Every year, without fail, the air gets from bad to worse in November and nothing is ever done," Vinita Garg, a homemaker and one of the city's 20 million residents, told DW. "I am happy that the court has intervened. Air quality has deteriorated to such an extent that many people have even been forced to wear masks indoors. Schools have been closed for a week, and construction sites are sitting idle.Īnd, on Monday, India's Supreme Court ordered millions of office workers to stay home to keep vehicles off the roads, also suggesting a two-day lockdown to help cut down on pollution. With air pollution reaching hazardous levels in the Indian capital and nearby suburbs in recent days, authorities have resorted to emergency measures. People in New Delhi are preparing for the possibility of another lockdown - but this one has nothing to do with COVID-19.
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