New Delhi: The return of the great smog

NEW DELHI: Delhiites woke up to a thick cover of smog shrouding the cityscape on Tuesday morning, forcing chief minister Arvind Kejriwal to compare the city to a “gas chamber” and his administration to declare all primary schools closed on Wednesday, if not longer.

At 11 am, the air quality index (AQI) in the city read 999, which is categorised as “severe”. In contrast, the AQI in Mumbai was “moderate” at 311, while other metros recorded levels close to 150.

Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia held a meeting with ministers and government officials, after which he briefed the media about the government’s action plan to tackle pollution.  “All primary schools will remain closed tomorrow. If needed, we will extend the order till day after. Outdoor activities, including assemblies, should not take place in schools,” he said.

Explaining the reasons for the sudden onset of smog, Anumita Roychowdhary, the executive director of the Centre for Science and Environment, said lack of moisture and winds was responsible.
Roy Chowdhary said, “It is a predictable phenomenon. There are winds on the higher level but not in Delhi, hence there is the thick blanket of smog.”

The first to press the panic button was the Indian Medical Association (IMA), which declared a medical emergency in the capital and asked residents to stay indoors as much as possible. It also sought the cancellation of the Delhi half-marathon.

Not much respite is in store for Delhiites in the next three days, however, as the forecast till Friday predicts PM 2.5 levels to be in the range of 420-430, which falls in the “very poor” category.
Recommending steps to check the pollution, the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority for the National Capital Region (EPCA) said people should prepare to use their vehicles on alternate days depending on whether registration numbers were odd or even.

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), too, took note of the deteriorating air quality and ordered the issuance of over 15,000 masks for its personnel deployed at IGI Airport, in the Delhi Metro and at other government installations.

Hemendra Singh, CISF spokesperson said over 10,000 masks had been distributed on Tuesday and more would be handed out on Wednesday.

However, most of these were the green surgical masks, which are known to provide little protection against hazardous air pollution.