Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Photos: Smog-hit New Delhi extends school shutdown
Delhi is a union territory of India, containing the capital of India, New Delhi, where nearly 30 million people live. There, all primary schools have been closed since the end of October because of the dangerously polluted air quality. The PM 2.5 particles, tiny microscopic particles of solid or liquid matter suspended in the air, reached over 500 micrograms per cubic meter on November 6, a level 40 times higher than the daily maximum by the WHO. In fact, over 17,000 people died in Delhi in 2020 because of the air pollution. The smog of this season is a regular event, caused particularly by stubble burning by farmers in neighboring states after their rice and wheat crops harvest. Also, vehicle and industrial emissions, and dust from construction sites are to blame. Though the government banned stubble burning in neighboring states and implemented emission standards for vehicles and factories, the smog problem in Delhi seems far from over or being eased. Indeed, the air pollution in Delhi is caused by old practices and new vehicles and industries.
Read the article and see the photos of smog-filled Delhi.
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