‘Dangerous’ smog engulfs India’s capital

First modification: 03/11/2022 – 08:00

The presence in the air of dangerous PM2.5 particles, so small that they can penetrate the blood system, reached 588 per cubic meter on Thursday morning, according to the air quality monitoring company IQAir.

This is almost 40 times more than the daily maximum recommended by the World Health Organization. According to IQAir, these are “dangerous” levels of contamination.

“It’s really the worst time to be outside in Delhi. You never wake up fresh with this pollution,” police officer Hem Raj, 42, told AFP.

“The body feels tired and lethargic in the morning. The eyes are always watery and the throat scratchy after spending hours on the streets of Delhi,” he added.

Every winter, cold air, smoke from burning agricultural stubble, and polluting emissions mix to form a smog that surrounds this city of 20 million people.

A 2020 Lancet study attributed 1.67 million deaths in 2019 in India to pollution, nearly 17,500 of them in the capital.

Delhi authorities regularly announce plans to reduce pollution, such as halting construction works, but usually with little effect.

Post-harvest burning of paddy fields in many regions persists each year despite efforts to convince farmers to use other techniques.