New Delhi on Saturday ordered schools to be closed for a week and is considering lockdown to protect the population from a cloud of pollution.
"From Monday, schools will be closed so that children do not have to breathe polluted air," Chief Minister of the Indian capital Arvind Kejriwal told reporters.
The Central Pollution Control Bureau also called on residents to "limit outdoor activities" and advised government authorities to prepare "for the implementation of emergency measures".
He added that the poor air quality would likely be maintained at least until November 18 because of "weak winds and calm conditions overnight".
New Delhi is the most polluted capital in the world
Populated by 20 million inhabitants, the Indian capital is the most polluted in the world according to a report by the Swiss organization IQAir published in 2020, because of its factories, its traffic and agricultural fires lit every winter. And on Saturday, the Supreme Court suggested imposing lockdown on Delhi to combat deteriorating air quality. "How else are we going to be able to live? Chief Justice NV Arvind Kejriwal said his government would consider the proposal after consulting with stakeholders. “Containment due to pollution has never taken place before. It will be an extreme measure, ”he said.
Construction work will be stopped for four days, from Sunday, to stop polluting emissions from outdoor sites, he announced.
Civil servants must telecommute, and private companies have been urged to do so as much as possible.
Forty fans that pump 1,000 cubic meters of air
On Saturday, levels of PM 2.5 particles - the smallest and most harmful, which can enter the bloodstream - surpassed 300 on the Air Quality Index.
This is 20 times the maximum daily limit recommended by the World Health Organization.
Earlier this year, the government of New Delhi unveiled its first giant air purifier containing 40 fans that pump 1,000 cubic meters of air per second through filters.
The $ 2 million facility halves the amount of harmful particles in the air, but only within a square kilometer radius, engineers say.
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