NEW DELHI (AP) — Thick, toxic smog blanketed India's capital Monday, sending air pollution to its lowest levels in weeks, disrupting travel and forcing authorities to impose the strictest containment measures yet.
More than 40 flights were canceled and dozens of flights were delayed. More than 50 trains arriving and departing from New Delhi were delayed for several hours, authorities said.
Health experts have warned residents to avoid all outdoor activities as hospitals report an influx of patients with difficulty breathing and eye irritation.
“New Delhi is now a gas chamber. Air purifiers can only help so much, so it is time the government comes up with some permanent solutions,” said Naresh Dang, a doctor at Max Healthcare.
Air pollution levels in Delhi have remained at what the federal government calls “severe” levels for the past two days, which the government says can cause respiratory effects in healthy people and seriously affect the health of people with heart or lung disease.
On Sunday, official index readings topped 450 at several monitoring stations, up from 430 on Saturday and the highest this winter season, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board. On Monday it was 449. Readings below 50 are considered good. During periods of high air pollution, the government advises people to go out as little as possible and to wear N95 masks when going outside. Children, pregnant women, older adults and people with pre-existing respiratory or cardiovascular conditions are at higher risk, and officials advise them to be especially careful.
“I have never seen such pollution. Last year I came to Delhi, it was polluted. This year it is even more polluted. I can smell the smoke while I breathe the air,” said Thiam Patel, a tourist.
To stop pollution, Indian authorities have banned construction activities and limited the use of diesel generators and cars. Water sprinklers were deployed to combat the haze. Schools and offices allow many students and workers to remain at home.
But environmentalists say the nation's air pollution crisis requires long-term changes.
New Delhi and the surrounding region, home to more than 30 million people, regularly rank among the most polluted cities in the world. According to a report by Swiss air quality monitoring database IQAir published earlier this year, India is home to six of the world's 10 most polluted cities, with New Delhi being the country's most polluted capital.
Air quality in New Delhi deteriorates every winter as farmers burn crop residues in nearby states, and cooler temperatures trap smoke that mixes with pollution from vehicles, construction activities and industrial emissions. Pollution levels are often 20 times higher than the World Health Organization's safe limit.
But Vimlendu Jha, an environmentalist in Delhi, said the air is unhealthy even at other times of the year.
“The air in Delhi is not getting cleaner at all, we see it only from October to December, but the reality is that it remains polluted throughout the year,” he said.
Earlier this month, New Delhi residents staged protests to express frustration and anger at the government's failure to address the pollution problem.
A study last year by the medical journal Lancet linked long-term exposure to air pollution to 1.5 million additional deaths each year in India.
“Air pollution-related deaths are not being counted. And the reason they are not being counted is because there are no systematic mechanisms for doing so,” said Shweta Narayan, campaign director for the Global Alliance on Climate and Health.
In October, Indian authorities conducted a controversial cloud seeding experiment over smog-choked New Delhi to create rainfall and clear the city's toxic air. The experiment ended without precipitation.
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Arasu reported from Bangalore, India. AP video journalist Piyush Nagpal contributed to this report.
