THE nation has started annual measures to tackle toxic air pollution in New Delhi, a megacity of 30 million people regularly ranked among the world’s most polluted capitals.
Delhi’s air quality deteriorates in winter, when cooler air traps pollutants close to the ground.
Major sources include coal-fired power plants, traffic, construction and farm stubble burning in neighbouring areas.
The Delhi government on Wednesday announced a ban on open rubbish burning and ordered food stalls to stop using coal or firewood.
In previous years, such measures have failed to curb pollution, which peaks from November to January, when levels of cancer- causing PM 2.5 microparticles often hit more than 300mg per cubic metre, 20 times the World Health Organization’s recommended daily maximum.
Monitors recorded 233mg per cubic metre early yesterday, about 15 times the limit.
The government’s Commission for Air Quality Management has predicted air quality to remain “poor” in the coming days.
A study in The Lancet Planetary Health in 2024 estimated that 3.8 million deaths in India between 2009 and 2019 were linked to pollution that exceeded India’s own air quality guidelines.
Last year, pollution levels peaked at 846mg per cubic metre, 56 times the WHO limit.
The UN children’s agency warns that polluted air puts children at heightened risk of acute respiratory infections. — AFP
