Vehicles wait for a signal at a crossing as the city enveloped in smog in New Delhi, India. Photo / AP
Vehicles wait for a signal at a crossing as the city enveloped in smog in New Delhi, India. Photo / AP
An emergency measure banning half of Delhi's private vehicles from the road was introduced yesterday to combat the city's air pollution, which has risen to more than 20 times the safe limit.
As smog levels grew - making it three times worse than in Beijing - authorities also parked a van with an air purifier near the Taj Mahal 150 miles away in an attempt to clean the surrounding air.
The level of particulates measuring less than 2.5 microns was over 700 micrograms per cubic metre of air yesterday morning, according to the air quality index (AQI). The World Health Organisation's safe daily maximum is just 25.
Health officials have instructed Delhi's 29 million residents to stay indoors, as a reading of over 500 shows there is a risk of serious aggravation of heart and lung diseases.
The BLK Hospital reported a 300 per cent increase in admissions from respiratory problems since Saturday, with children suffering particularly badly due to the toxic air. Schools are expected to stay shut in Delhi until next week.
A Delhi Traffic police officer wears a pollution mask and clears the irritants in his eyes in New Delhi. Photo / AP
"Air pollution of such magnitude has left children gasping for breath," said Jarnail Singh, director of the Climate Group, a climate change non-governmental organisation.
"It causes headaches in children - which were previously unheard of - burning eyes and regular breathing discomfort."
Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi's chief minister, highlighted the city's plight in a tweet on Friday. He wrote: "Delhi has turned into a gas chamber due to smoke from crop burning in neighbouring states," and urged citizens to use face masks.
Yesterday, he introduced the policy to ban even and odd-numbered privately registered vehicles from the roads on alternate days until Nov 15. The move will keep an estimated 1.2 million vehicles off the road.
Delhi has failed to control worsening levels of air pollution in recent years and was named by AQI as the most polluted capital city in the world in 2018.
AQI has estimated that Delhi residents will have a shortened life expectancy of more than a decade due to the toxic air they breathe. The seasonal burning of crop stubble by farmers in the neighbouring states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab is a major contributor to the high pollution at this time of year.
Indian and foreign tourists wear pollution mask and take a walk at the India Gate amidst morning smog in New Delhi. Photo / AP
Farmers argue that burning stubble increases the fertility of their land, but it releases a toxic cocktail of particulates such as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide into the air.
Vehicle and industrial emissions, as well as the large number of Diwali festival fireworks set off last week, also cause air quality to deteriorate.
The end of the monsoon rains in October means the polluted air does not clear. The Supreme Court of India yesterday ordered Mr Kejriwal to show how the car rationing system works, describing it as a "gimmick" as it does not apply to motorbikes or taxis.
It also demanded state governments in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab eradicate stubble burning.
Activists urged politicians to prioritise the threat posed by air pollution.
"The Delhi government, neighbouring states and national government cannot run away from their duties and must stop passing the dice," said Chittranjan Dubey, head of Extinction Rebellion in South Asia.
More than 30 flights have so far been diverted from Indira Gandhi International Airport, as the thick smog means aircraft cannot land safely.
