“
Air pollution has reached hazardous levels in the Indian capital, Delhi, after many firecrackers were set off to celebrate the festival of Diwali at the weekend.
People celebrated the festival on Sunday night with colourful fireworks across the city, but woke up the next morning to find the city covered in a thick grey blanket of smog.
The situation hasn’t changed much since then. The Indian Meteorological Department said Wednesday recorded the worst smog and visibility in 17 years.
Levels of tiny particulate matter (known as PM 2.5) that enter deep into the lungs reached as high as 800 micrograms per cubic metre in the past four days, data from the Delhi Pollution Control Committee showed.
That is 30 times a mean guideline set by the World Health Organisation (WHO) of 25 micrograms per cubic metre on average over a 24-hour period.
Anumita Roychowdhury of the Centre for Science and Environment said the situation “demands emergency response”.”The government should aggressively inform all and advise them to stay indoors and avoid outdoor exercises,” she said.” BBC News. Read the full story on delhiair.org.
delhiair.org - be informed and active about air quality in New Delhi, India 