The Indian capital New Delhi decided on Thursday, November 14, to close all primary schools until further notice due to air pollution in the megalopolis. “All primary schools in New Delhi will switch to remote classes, until further notice,” announced the local chief minister, Atishi, on the social network X.
Levels of PM2.5 pollutants (carcinogenic microparticles that enter the bloodstream through the lungs), more than 50 times above the daily maximum recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), have been recorded. Schools are often closed during the worst weeks of the annual smog crisis. This mix of fog and pollutant emissions, favored by the fumes of low-grade diesel, also causes many other disruptions in the city. Cooler temperatures and slow winds make matters worse by trapping deadly pollutants each winter, from mid-October until at least January.
Clean air added to list of basic human rights
New Delhi and its metropolitan area, home to more than 30 million people, regularly top global rankings for air pollution in winter. Last month, the Supreme Court, the country’s highest court, added clean air to the list of basic human rights and ordered the government to act.
New Delhi remains the most polluted city in the world
The entire region is affected. In early November, air pollution in Lahore, Pakistan’s second city, hit an all-time high, more than 40 times higher than the World Health Organization’s (WHO) acceptable level. The air quality index (AQI) rose to 1,067 before falling back to around 300 by morning. The air is considered “bad” from 180 and “dangerous” beyond 300, on this WHO scale. The authorities had banned all outdoor physical activities for children for three months.
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