Thursday, 14 November 2024
Home Topics Climate Visibility drops in parts of Delhi as pollution surges
ClimateEmissionsEnvironmentNewsRegulations

Visibility drops in parts of Delhi as pollution surges

10
A man wearing a mask walks on a road amid a smoggy morning in New Delhi, India, November 13, 2024. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis
A man wearing a mask walks on a road amid a smoggy morning in New Delhi, India, November 13, 2024. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis

By Sakshi Dayal

NEW DELHI (Reuters) -Air pollution in India’s national capital increased to ‘severe’ on an official index on Wednesday for the first time this season as temperatures and wind speeds dropped, reducing visibility and affecting some flights.

Delhi overtook Pakistan’s Lahore as the world’s most polluted city in Swiss group IQAir’s live rankings, and India’s pollution control authority said the national capital territory’s 24-hour air quality index (AQI) score had touched 418. 

The Central Pollution Control Board defines an AQI reading of 0-50 as “good”, and above 401 as “severe”, which affects healthy people and “seriously impacts” those with existing diseases.

The Indian capital battles smog – a toxic mix of smoke and fog – every winter as cold air traps dust, emissions, and smoke from illegal farm fires. 

Authorities have on occasion closed schools, stopped some building work, and placed restrictions on private vehicles to curb the problem. 

Pakistan’s Punjab province, which shares a border with India and is also battling toxic air, has this month banned outdoor activities, closed schools and ordered some shops, markets, and malls to close early.

The concentration of PM2.5 – particulate matter measuring 2.5 microns or less in diameter that can be carried into lungs, causing deadly diseases and cardiac issues – in Delhi was more than 120 times the World Health Organisation’s recommended levels on Wednesday morning, IQAir said. 

Weather department officials also blamed the smog, which reduced visibility to zero in some places, on high humidity, low wind speed, and the minimum temperature dropping to 17 degrees Celsius (63 degrees Fahrenheit) from 17.9 C a day before.

At least eight flights were diverted from the city’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, news agency ANI reported.

Dense fog – defined as that which reduces visibility to 50-200 metres (164-657 ft) – was expected to continue over northwest India for the “next 2-3 days”, the India Meteorological Department said.  

(Reporting by Sakshi Dayal, Additional reporting by Mubasher Bukhari in Lahore; Editing by Christian Schmollinger, Nicholas Yong, Alex Richardson, William Maclean)

Related Articles

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Senator Republican Marco Rubio gives a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Florida, U.S. February 25, 2022. REUTERS/Octavio Jones/File Photo
BusinessOilPoliticsRegulations

Trump pick Rubio could harden oil sanctions on Iran, Venezuela

Trump’s appointment of Rubio as secretary of state signals stricter oil sanctions...

Tech ambitions include producing sustainable jet fuel out of the carbon dioxide in the air (AFP)
AnalysisBiofuelsBusinessElectric VehiclesElectricityEmissionsPoliticsSolarSustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)Wind

Tech’s green wave hits choppy waters

Tech’s pursuit of sustainable energy solutions is captivating, but experts warn these...

FILE PHOTO: The logo of Equinor is set up at the entrance of a building at Western Europe's largest liquefied natural gas plant Hammerfest LNG in Hammerfest, Norway, March 14, 2024. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner//File Photo
BusinessEmissionsEnvironmentIndigenousNatural GasOil

Equinor to report Greenpeace to police after protest at CEO’s home

Equinor will report the group after it protested at the home of...

FILE PHOTO: The logo of the Adani Group is seen on the facade of one of its buildings on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, India, April 13, 2021. REUTERS/Amit Dave/File Photo
BusinessInfrastructureNatural GasOilTransmission

India’s Adani Group to invest $10 billion in US energy following Trump win

Gautam Adani announced the investment, with no specific timeline, while congratulating U.S....

Login into your Account

Please login to like, dislike or bookmark this article.