India capital choked by smog as emergency measures fail to offer respite
A thick cloud of toxic smog 10 times the recommended limit enveloped India’s capital New Delhi on Monday, as government officials struggled to tackle a public health crisis that is well into its second week.
A US embassy measure showed levels of poisonous airborne particles, known as PM 2.5, had reached 495 on Monday morning, compared with the upper limit of “good” quality air at 50.
India’s weather office said forecast rain over the next three days could help clear the smog.
“Light rainfall is likely in states surrounding Delhi and in Delhi over the next three days, and this could result in a change in wind pattern in the region,” Charan Singh, a scientist at India Meteorological Department, told Reuters. “Smog will start to abate starting tomorrow.”
The Delhi state government declared a public health emergency last week after pollution levels in the city spiked, a yearly phenomenon blamed on a combination of illegal crop burning in northern states, vehicle exhausts and dust.
Over the weekend, the government said it planned to use fire trucks to spray water in parts of the capital, but the moves have had little effect.
A senior federal government official said there was little more the government could do.
“We can only do this much, and now we will have to wait for rains to clean the atmosphere,” said Prashant Gargava, an official at the Central Pollution Control Board, a federal body.
The PM 2.5 airborne particles are about 30 times finer than a human hair. The particles can be inhaled deep into the lungs, causing respiratory diseases and other ailments. Hospitals in the capital have seen a spike in the number of patients coming in with respiratory complaints, according to media reports.
State and federal governments decided to reopen schools on Monday after closing them temporarily for a few days last week. The move, however, is likely to add more vehicles on the road. Enforcement agencies said they were also unable to impose a blanket ban on movement of commercial trucks.
The National Green Tribunal, an environment court, has directed the Delhi government and neighboring states to stop farmers from burning crop residue. But the federal and state governments have not been able to do so yet.
(Source: Reuters)
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