Schools shut, universities shift to online mode as severe air pollution in Indian capital continues

by Peerzada Arshad Hamid
NEW DELHI, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) — Air pollution in and around the Indian capital Dehli territory continues to be in the severe category Tuesday with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 494.
For the past several days the city has been battling severe air pollution, forcing authorities to implement tougher measures. Primary and middle schools have already been shut in the city and on the outskirts as precautionary measures. Two premier universities in the city have decided to conduct all classes online until Nov. 22 and 23, respectively, given the deteriorating air quality.
On Tuesday a layer of dense fog shrouded Delhi and most parts of neighbouring Uttar Pradesh and Haryana as residents woke up to another day of deteriorated air quality.
Reports said of the 35 monitoring stations in the national capital, most recorded an AQI of 500.
AQI between 0-50 is considered “good”, between 51-100 “satisfactory”, between 101-200 “moderate”, between 201- 300 “poor”, between 301-400 “very poor”, and between 401-500 “severe” and beyond 500 is severe plus emergency.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) also issued an orange alert for dense fog for the second consecutive day.
As the visibility plunged due to the toxic smog, several trains and flights were delayed or cancelled in Delhi.
A local media report said at least 22 trains were delayed and eight flights diverted on Tuesday morning.
Delhi local environment minister Gopal Rai Tuesday sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention in tackling the alarming air pollution levels in the national capital. Rai said it was the Prime Minister’s moral responsibility to act decisively, urging the federal government to implement effective measures to control the worsening situation.
He suggested artificial rain measures be taken to tackle Delhi’s smog issue and requested an emergency meeting with experts and authorities.
Meanwhile, opposition Congress party leader Shashi Tharoor took a potshot at the federal government over the severe air pollution in Delhi and questioned Delhi’s suitability as the country’s national capital citing its worsening air quality.
“This city is essentially uninhabitable from November to January inclusive and barely livable the rest of the year. Should it even remain the nation’s capital?” Tharoor wrote on social media on Monday.
Several residents have complained of cough and breathing problems as hospitals continued to see a steady rise in patients reporting air pollution-related health issues.
Officials at Delhi Zoo are using water sprinklers to combat air pollution and ensure that wild animals kept there are not affected.
Delhi figures in the most polluted cities of the world. Industrial activities and vehicular traffic are significant contributors to air pollution in the city, along with rampant construction.
The situation worsens due to the rise in emissions from stubble burning in neighboring states of Punjab and Haryana, which increases the concentration of prominent pollutants — PM 2.5 and PM 10 in the air, much beyond the safety limits. ■