Highlights
- Delhi's AQI reaches 471 on Monday, classified as severe, with toxic haze disrupting flights and trains.
- Schools shift to online classes for younger students; construction activity halted and older diesel trucks banned.
- Over 200,000 acute respiratory illness cases recorded in Delhi's state-run hospitals between 2022 and 2024.
Schools in Delhi and surrounding areas have moved classes online and construction has been banned as the Indian capital grapples with hazardous air quality that has engulfed the city in a toxic haze.
On Monday morning, Delhi's air quality index (AQI) reached 471, according to the government's Safar app, more than 30 times the limit recommended by the World Health Organization. The thick haze affected visibility, causing delays to flights and trains.
The AQI measures PM2.5, fine particulate matter that can clog lungs, and other pollutants. Exposure to this level of pollution can cause serious health problems, especially in children and elderly people.
India's Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) invoked the highest level of its graded response action plan on Sunday, scaling up from "level III" to "level IV" to tackle the pollution crisis.
Health and restrictions
As a result, older diesel trucks have been barred from entering Delhi, construction activity has been halted, and schools have been told to switch to hybrid classes, with younger children required to study online. India's top court also issued a circular on Sunday advising lawyers and litigants to appear virtually for hearings.
India's pollution watchdog classifies AQI levels of 101–200 as moderate, 201–300 as poor, 301–400 as very poor, and anything above 400 as severe.
The CAQM said the latest deterioration was driven by high moisture levels and a change in wind direction, which reduced the dispersion of pollutants and encouraged smog formation.
Toxic air is a recurring problem in Delhi and its suburbs, especially during winters. The problem is attributed to a mix of factors such as industrial emissions, vehicle exhaust, dropping temperatures, low wind speeds and the seasonal burning of crop stubble in neighbouring states.
Authorities have warned residents, particularly children and people with heart or respiratory conditions, to stay indoors and advised wearing masks if going outside.
More than 200,000 cases of acute respiratory illnesses were recorded in six state-run hospitals in Delhi between 2022 and 2024 as the capital struggled with rising pollution levels, the federal government told parliament earlier this month.
