Delhi pollution: Cold air and toxic haze affect millions

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Getty Images A woman wearing a pink traditional Indian dress and a black scarf walks along the side of the road in the early hours of the morning in Karol Bagh, Delhi, as vehicles pass by with their lights on due to low visibility.Getty Images

Delhi’s waste has once again soared to dangerous levels, with a top pro warning that India’s harmful air may have a bigger impact on public health than the Covid-19 pandemic.

Residents of the area complained of breathing problems, as well as itching in their eyes and throats on Wednesday because the air quality was 35 times above the safe limit set by the World Health Organization ( WHO ).

Officials have urged people, particularly children and the elderly, to remain indoors as much as possible, while doctors recommend wearing a helmet.

However, Frank Hammes, the international CEO of IQAir, warns that this is only a temporary measure and that much more needs to be done.

He claimed that” a public health pandemic” exists because” toxic air has an impact on everything from mortality to IQ rates.”

” Compared to Covid-19, this will have a much bigger impact on public health.”

Low wind speeds, car emissions, and the burning of grain remains and firewood are all causes of high pollution in Delhi and the surrounding states each winter.

According to IQAir, a Swedish air quality index, waste in parts of Delhi surpassed the 550 level on Wednesday night, much exceeding even the “hazardous” levels of 300.

London, in contrast, had a stage of 26 early on Wednesday.

The Air Quality Index ( AQI ) measures the level of tiny particles in the air, also known as PM 2.5- which Mr Hammes explains is” the most dangerous pollutant” and the “only determinant” for calculating pollution levels.

” It causes breathe problems, asthma attacks, heart and lung problems that send people rushing to crises”, he said.

Getty Images Seven men are standing around bonfires, wearing sweaters and jackets to protect themselves from the cold.Getty Images

Less than two days after the country’s top prosecutor approved them, the Delhi authorities reintroduced stringent waste control actions on Tuesday.

According to the Graded Response Action Plan ( GRAP ), most schools have switched to hybrid mode, and all demolition and construction activities have been prohibited, but lorries and heavy vehicles, with the exception of those bringing essential goods, have been allowed to enter.

Manish Adhikari, a native, told media organization ANI that it has now become difficult to survive the winter in Delhi with continuously rising pollution.

Another native, Bhagat Singh, even expressed his frustration.

” Pollution has become an incurable ailment, especially for Delhi. There is no option to it”, he said.

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