Delhi wakes to ‘gas chamber’ of toxic smog as government raises alarm over pollution level

Officials have been asked to shut schools to protect children from poor air quality

Delhi’s annual air pollution crisis has returned as millions of residents woke to thick smog and health warnings.

The Indian capital’s Air Quality Index (AQI) touched 418 on Thursday morning, according to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) monitoring system run by the federal earth sciences ministry.

Dozens of air monitoring stations around the city registered AQI readings of over 450, prompting authorities to ask citizens to stay indoors.

Several key landmarks in the city remained nearly invisible behind hazardous orange-grey coloured smog, which has peaked to its highest levels this week in the wake of the usual unfavourable conditions around the metropolis at this time of the year.

These include smoke from farm fires in adjoining states and its own spiking vehicular and industrial emissions.

Federal environment minister Bhupendra Yadav from India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party — which serves as the opposition party in Delhi — has blamed the city’s governing Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for turning the national capital into a “gas chamber”.

Officials have asked the Delhi and federal government to immediately issue orders to shut schools to prevent harmful exposure of pollution to children.

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) in India said it has taken suo motu cognisance of poor air quality in Delhi and asked the city-state administration to “consider taking a decision to close down schools till the time the air quality of national capital improves, in view of the best interest of children”.

People commute along a road amid smoggy conditions in New Delhi (AFP via Getty Images)

“Children are in the wrath of toxic air on their way to school, in playgrounds (sic). This negligence is wrong, [NCPCR] is issuing notice on it,” said Priyank Kanoongo, its chairperson.

This comes a day after Delhi’s environmental minister asked citizens to opt for work from home and carpool as much as possible to reduce the density of vehicles on roads.

A highway shrouded in heavy smog in New Delhi, India, on Thursday (REUTERS)

The Delhi government has also rolled out the third stage of its graded response action plan (GRAP) which bans all construction and demolition activities. Officials have deployed water sprinklers on a 24-hours basis and issued instructions for an anti-dust campaign.

Health experts have asked everyone in the city to avoid any outdoor physical activity and urged people with existing heart and respiratory problems to stay indoors. Prolonged exposure to air in Delhi can cause serious health complications, doctors have said.

This is the second time Delhi has recorded severe air quality this week. The pollution index has remained at the “very poor” and “poor” scales for the city since late October. “Severe” is the highest mapped and the worst AQI reading on a five-level category.