17 million vehicles, moisture and fires .. The Indian capital suffocates

Shamshad Hussain-Delhi

Air pollution in the Indian capital New Delhi and surrounding areas has reached its worst level so far this year. Authorities in the world's most polluted capitals have already declared a health emergency, ordered schools shut down and demanded residents stay at home. Residents of New Delhi and surrounding areas have suffered from health problems such as eye inflammation, itching and breathing problems due to the accumulation of dust, gas and smoke in the atmosphere.

Health experts have estimated that staying an hour outdoors in the polluted atmosphere is equivalent to smoking 24 cigarettes a day, according to published reports, exposing some residents to heart attacks and brain.

The causes of pollution
The number of vehicles in the Indian capital and adjacent areas is estimated at 17 million, of which about 10 million vehicles and more than seven million bicycles, as well as hundreds of thousands of tuk-tuk vehicles with more than half a million visiting vehicles daily.

The large numbers of vehicles prompted authorities in the capital to launch a two-week plan to set quotas for road traffic as part of efforts to control dangerous air pollution levels in the city.

Delhi Governor Arvind Kejriwal said the car distribution system set days for private cars ending in odd numbers in conjunction with the same even numbers from Monday to November 14.

The rapid construction movement in the capital contributes to the increase of pollution due to the use of construction sand without the use of mounds, which makes it vulnerable to spread in the air with the wind.

An important reason for this problem is the burning of the rest of the rice crop this season in the agricultural areas of neighboring states, which produces huge amounts of smoke on a large scale.

To make matters worse, the problem coincided with Hindus' celebrations of varicose veins, in which large quantities of fireworks and firecrackers are released.

Shocking condition
Factory waste and fumes, garbage burning, cow dung and crop straw by farmers in remote areas of Delhi - coupled with climatic factors such as a lack of wind - are also driving up air pollution in the city, especially in October and November.

The state of humidity and cold in the capital these days prevent particles leading to pollution from rising in space, which leads to more pollution in the atmosphere.

Although the capital is one of the world's most polluted cities - with a population of more than 25 million - the situation this year has been shocking and surprising for the population, especially as it came after a period when the weather was largely clear compared to last year, according to estimates by the environmental authorities.

In an effort to counter this unprecedented situation, the Delhi government has launched awareness campaigns in which hundreds of thousands of masks have been distributed to residents, staff and school students.

Residents and environmental experts attribute this problem to the authorities' failure to deal with its causes. Last year, municipal authorities approved financial budgets to codify rice crop burning, but that did not work.

On the contrary, despite government plans, arson has been on the rise in neighboring states such as Punjab.

Data from the Central Pollution Control Board showed that several cities in the north of the country also recorded serious levels of pollution.