Indian capital panics as pollution hits worrying high

By Ahmad Adil

NEW DELHI (AA) – The smog that notoriously hovers over New Delhi has intensified to such dangerous levels in recent weeks that the Indian capital has had to close schools and ban construction and demolition work this week.

Avoiding such dangerous conditions in the Indian capital will require looking towards long-term initiatives for tackling air pollution levels that have alarmed Delhi dwellers, according to Indian environmental experts.

“Local pollution and meteorological conditions are some of the causes of the intense pollution. The farmers who set their fields on fire after harvesting in the few northern states is also a contributing factor,” Professor Manju Mohan, an atmospheric scientist at the Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi, told Anadolu Agency.

“Intervention is required at policy level. Wherever we can control it, we should do it,” she said.

Air pollution levels in New Delhi have worsened since last week's celebrations for Diwali, the Hindu holiday known as the festival of lights, when the masses of fireworks set off left behind a thick smog.

On Monday evening, local media reported that a national body of doctors has asked Delhi residents to stay indoors as the levels of dangerous particles in the air had become “hazardous”.

Vimlendu Jha, an environmental activist, told Anadolu Agency Delhi's air pollution levels have reached “unprecedented” levels because of “inaction, insensitivity and irresponsibility of all stakeholders.”

“Even citizens have played an important role...based on every scientific study done on the issues, Diwali crackers and crop burning in Punjab and Haryana have made the situation worse but they are responsible only for peaking the levels,” he said. “Emergency measures announced by the government are critical, and need to be implemented rather than a mere announcement.”

Dr. Ravindra Khaiwal, who works on environmental issues at Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), north India's premier health Institute, told Anadolu Agency there was a need to educate the public on the health risks.

"This could be better documented with the help of more geographically spread health risk studies,” he said.

Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal held an emergency cabinet meeting on the issue on Sunday and told reporters that "emergency measures" were needed.

The measures, according to officials, include bans on all diesel generators over the next 10 days, except at hospitals and in emergencies, while authorities on Monday also ordered de-registration of diesel-fuelled vehicles more than 15 years old.

Residents say that government should take strong initiatives to save people from “serious problem.”

“I have never seen a situation like the present one. I have sent my kids out of Delhi because I don't want to see them ill,” Puneet Sharma an IT professional and a Delhi resident told Anadolu Agency. “I feel like I am living in a gas chamber.”