India: Smog chokes Delhi as air pollution soars | DW News

India's Supreme Court has ordered authorities to shut offices in the capital New Delhi and nearby cities. The order comes after officials ordered schools to close and construction sites to stop work to reduce hazardous air pollution that is blanketing cities in noxious smog.
Schools in India's capital New Delhi have closed for a week as of Monday. The shutdown is to protect children from the toxic smog that is covering the city. Delhi's government has been vowing for years to clean up the city's air. But as winter approaches, people in Delhi are bracing for the next air quality crisis.
New Delhi is one of the world's most polluted cities. Now it has closed school doors for the entire week so children can stay inside, away from the smog.
Not everyone is convinced it's a good idea. Because of the toxic air, hospitals are seeing a sharp rise in the number of patients with breathing difficulties, children among them.
Construction work is also banned for several days to stop the dust. And government offices must close until the end of the week.
Delhi's smog is a noxious mix of pollutants from its millions of vehicles and many factories. Agricultural fires are also a major culprit as farmers in regions around the capital burn the straw, or crop stubble, left over from their rice harvest at the onset of winter.
Delhi's government has vowed to clean the filthy air. But until it manages to get on top of the problem, the residents of Delhi will continue to suffer.


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