New Delhi is suffocating due to pollution. The images coming from the Indian capital show a city shrouded in a blanket of smog. At 12.30 local time, Indian media reported, the Air Quality Index (AQI) was at 1743, according to IQAir, and an AQI of 301 or higher is considered "hazardous".
After days of alarm in the Indian capital and surrounding areas, record levels of pollution - 60 times higher than the limits 'allowed' by the World Health Organization, as reported by the AFP agency - have forced authorities to decide to close schools. Empty classrooms and 'distance learning' until further notice for all pupils, with the exception of the oldest students in the final years. Entry is prohibited for trucks, except those carrying food, and a stop also for public works construction sites.
In Delhi, local media reported, cases of eye irritation and respiratory problems have been reported. In the city, where an estimated 33 million people live, a series of measures designed to 'combat smog' had already been adopted, including a halt to non-essential construction sites, which many, however, considered useless. Earlier this month, pollution had also forced authorities in neighboring Pakistan to temporarily close elementary schools in Lahore.
