Air pollution shuts down schools in Delhi

The level of fine particles in Delhi’s air is dangerously high at more than ten times the global safety level, according to India’s environmental watchdog SAFAR. Tuesday was the fifth straight day of bad weather in the capital region.

-There is a lot of smog. “I look at the air quality index and am afraid of this climate,” says Srinivas Rao, who is in the city on a visit from Andhra Pradesh.

He wears a face mask during his morning walk near the Arc de Triomphe at India Gate.

Toxic smog hits the Indian capital every year, and authorities struggle to deal with the problem. Water sprinklers and smog control devices are being deployed to improve air quality, and drivers of petrol and diesel vehicles are being fined. Doctors are urging residents to wear face masks and stay indoors as much as possible because smog can cause respiratory infections, influenza and asthma attacks.

According to local media, demand for air purifiers rose last week.

Delhi tops the list of Indian cities that suffer from poor air quality almost every year, especially during the winter when crop residues are burned in neighboring states while cold temperatures trap dangerous smoke.

In northern China, tens of millions of people have recently been asked to spend less time outdoors due to smog that has settled in Hebei Province, which surrounds the capital, Beijing.