Delhi is the capital of the world which has absolutely the worst air and the most pollution. Now the country is once again affected by the toxic smog that returns every year. On Friday, factories and primary schools were closed again, while diesel vehicles were restricted and water sprinklers were deployed to combat the smog.
Right now, pollution levels are over ten times what is considered the threshold for levels dangerous to health, according to the global measurement system Air Quality Index.
– People are walking around coughing and sneezing. For those with impaired health, it is directly life-threatening, says Malin Mendel.
Millions of rockets and scorched earth
Around this time, one of the country’s most important festivals takes place – Diwali. During the festival, a large number of rockets are launched, which quickly turn into the final straw that makes the cup run over. The rockets are fired at the same time as farmers in northern India burn crop residues left after harvesting their rice. These factors, together with the fact that the air is very still at this time of year, cause the smog to form.
The country’s environment minister, Bhupender Yadav, puts the blame on farmers in the northern state of Punjab.
“There is no doubt about who has turned Delhi into a gas chamber,” he writes on Twitter.
Efforts are being made – but it is not enough
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said India’s goal is to stop adding new greenhouse gases to the atmosphere by 2070 and efforts are being made to address the problem. Among other things, large coal-fired power plants have been shut down in the country, but the big culprit in the drama is traffic.
– This is because rapid urbanization occurs at the same time as rapid industrialization, she says.
– Efforts are being made, but everything must be done on such a large scale because it is about millions of farmers. So it is difficult to bring about change.
How worried are people living in Delhi about the health effects of smog?
– Most people I know who live in Delhi talk about wanting to move away. Foreigners who get job offers in Delhi choose not to take them. I also quite honestly avoid being in Delhi, she says.