A woman sweeps a road next to the India Gate monument amid thick air pollution in New Delhi on October 30, 2019. Photo: Sajjad Hussain/AFP
Not only is the Air Quality Index (AQI) in India’s national capital Delhi so bad that environmentalists don’t want cricket matches to be played out in the open, but things have taken such a turn for the worse that a panel of the Supreme Court of India has declared an unprecedented public health emergency. The Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (ECPA) has shut down all schools until November 5, while bans on construction activity and bursting firecrackers have been imposed to curb pollution.
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Under the Graded Response Action Plan, if such severe conditions persist, the odd-even scheme, in which the use of cars will be rationed based on whether their number plate has odd or even numbers, will be put into force Monday onwards, and the movement of trucks into the city will also be banned."People have also been advised to not exercise in the open till the pollution level reduces and special care should be taken of the children, aged and vulnerable population,” said Bhure Lal, the EPCA chairperson. "This is a grave situation and I am hoping for your personal intervention so that there is stringent enforcement and full compliance with the directions issued.”Follow Shamani Joshi on Instagram.