On the 14th (local time), tourists in Agra, India, were seen looking at the cultural heritage site, the Taj Mahal, shrouded in fog. According to a report by Reuters, New Delhi, the capital of India, is currently experiencing severe air pollution, which has resulted in significantly reduced visibility due to smog covering the entire city.
On the 15th (local time), Swiss air quality analytics company IQAir reported that the air quality index (AQI) for New Delhi was 499. An AQI over 300 is classified as “hazardous,” surpassing the “very unhealthy” level. In India, an AQI between 301 and 400 is considered “very poor,” and anything over 400 is classified as “severe.” According to the Hindustan Times, New Delhi’s AQI has been exceeding 400 for several days.
The whole city of New Delhi is already enveloped in toxic smog, causing a surge of patients at hospitals suffering from coughs, acute asthma, and allergies. Visibility has been severely impacted by the thick smog, leading to delays for 88% of outbound flights and 54% of inbound flights from New Delhi the previous afternoon. Reuters reported that the iconic cultural heritage, the Taj Mahal, was obscured by the smog.
As the dire air quality persists, Delhi’s Chief Minister Atishi has ordered all elementary school classes to switch to online education starting immediately. Non-essential construction has been banned, and mechanical street cleaning machines have been deployed to spray dust suppressants.
The worsening air quality in New Delhi and northern India is attributed to the burning of leftover crop waste by farmers in the nearby grain-producing states of Punjab and Haryana, alongside the burning of coal and wood for heating in cities, which mixes with vehicle emissions. The situation is exacerbated in winter due to lack of wind, causing the accumulation of pollutants over New Delhi, which is located in an inland basin, creating a “gas chamber” effect. Despite various countermeasures, including attempts at artificial rainfall, the effectiveness remains limited.