All schools shut in Delhi over air pollution
Five million children have been told to stay home as authorities react to a level of pollution 28 times higher than safe limits.
Saturday 11 November 2017 07:26, UK
By Philip Whiteside, News Reporter
Authorities have closed all the schools in the Indian city of Delhi after air pollution reached nearly 30 times the recommended safe level.
As many as five million youngsters will be ordered to stay home until Sunday as the city's government attempts to tackle a blanket of smog.
The US embassy website said that the concentration of PM 2.5 - a damaging particulate matter - topped 700 for a second day early on Wednesday, 28 times World Health Organisation safe level guidelines.
In some parts of New Delhi on Tuesday air quality was so poor that it was beyond the maximum reading of 999, .
Doctors called for the city's half marathon, due to take place on 19 November, to be called off to protect runners and volunteers.
Manish Sisodia, Delhi's deputy chief minister, tweeted: "Due to the deteriorating air quality in Delhi, the health of children cannot be compromised.
"We have ordered the closure of all the schools in Delhi until Sunday."
The Indian Medical Association described the situation as a public health emergency and demanded administrators "curb this menace".
The city, which has a population of 20 million, is said to be the world's most polluted, often surpassing Beijing.
Last month, in expectation of worsening levels of smoke, for the Diwali festival, which is traditionally celebrated with pyrotechnics.
Despite the ban, firecrackers set off to celebrate the festival of lights added to the toxic mix of pollution from diesel engines, coal-fired power plants and industrial emissions.
Increasing the problem, many farmers burn stubble after the harvest in northern India, a practice that remains common despite an official ban.
Added to this, in autumn the cooling air and consequential descending moisture trap pollutants near the ground.
The problem of smog persisted as Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, arrived in Delhi for a two-day visit as part of a tour of South Asia and the Far East.