India air pollution at 'unbearable levels', Delhi minister say
Image copyrightAFP Image captionAir quality in Delhi has deteriorated into the "hazardous" categoryAir pollution in the north of India has "reached unbearable levels," the capital Delhi's Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal says.
In many areas of Delhi air quality deteriorated into the "hazardous" category, with the potential to cause respiratory illnesses.
Low visibility caused more than 30 flights to be diverted on Sunday.
Rules have now gone into effect allowing only cars with odd or even number plates to drive on given days.
The initiative is aimed at getting more vehicles off the road in an effort to curb air pollution.
Image copyrightAFPImage captionOnly cars with odd or even number plates can drive on given days in a bid to reduce pollutionSchools in Delhi have been ordered to close until Tuesday, and construction has been halted.
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain advised the city's residents to "avoid outdoor physical activities, especially during morning and late evening hours".
The advisory also said people should wear anti-pollution masks, avoid polluted areas and keep doors and windows closed.
What's caused the pollution?
A major factor behind the high pollution levels at this time of year is farmers in neighbouring states burning crop stubble to clear their fields.
Image copyrightAFPImage captionPolice are wearing face masks to protect themselves from the toxic smogThis creates a lethal cocktail of particulate matter, carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide - all worsened by fireworks set off during the Hindu festival Diwali a week ago.
Vehicle fumes, construction and industrial emissions have also contributed to the smog.
Indians are hoping that scattered rainfall over the coming week will wash away the pollutants but this is not due until Thursday.
How bad is the smog?
Levels of dangerous particles in the air - known as PM2.5 - are far higher than recommended and about seven times higher than in the Chinese capital Beijing.
An Indian health ministry official said the city's pollution monitors did not have enough digits to accurately record pollution levels, which he called a "disaster".
Varun Jhaveri✔@Varun_JhaveriI think we are heading towards Delhi recording the most polluted day in the history of world!! Most of the Delhi areas are showing an AQI of 999 because the meters can't record above that. This is a DISASTER!#DelhiAirEmergency
End of Twitter post by @Varun_Jhaveri
Five million masks were handed out in schools on Friday as officials declared a public health emergency and Mr Kejriwal likened the city to a "gas chamber".
The World Health Organization (WHO) says a third of deaths from stroke, lung cancer and heart disease are due to air pollution.
"This is having an equivalent effect to that of smoking tobacco," the WHO says on its website.
How are people reacting?
Mr Kejriwal's most recent comments are unlikely to please government officials, reports the BBC's South Asia regional editor Jill McGivering. She said Indian politicians were blaming each other for the conditions.
On Sunday young people in Delhi came out to protest and demand action.
"You can obviously see how terrible it is and it's actually scary you can't see things in front of you," said Jaivipra.
Image copyrightAFPImage captionAngry protesters compared the pollution to India's sluggish economyShe said she wanted long-term and sustainable anti-pollution measures put in place.
"We are concerned about our futures and about our health but we are also fighting this on behalf of the children and the elderly who bear the biggest brunt of the problem here," she said.
Some ministers have sparked controversy on social media by suggesting light-hearted measures to stay healthy.
Harsh Vardhan, the union minister for health and family welfare, urged people to eat carrots to protect against "night blindness" and "other pollution-related harm to health".
Dr Harsh Vardhan✔@drharshvardhan#EatRightIndia_34
Eating carrots helps the body get Vitamin A, potassium, & antioxidants which protect against night blindness common in India. Carrots also help against other pollution-related harm to health.#EatRightIndia @PMOIndia @MoHFW_INDIA @fssaiindia
End of Twitter post by @drharshvardhan
Meanwhile, Prakash Javadekar, the minister of the environment, suggested that you should "start your day with music", adding a link to a "scintillating thematic composition".
"Is that the reason you have turned deaf ears to our plight on pollution?" one Twitter user responded. "Seems you are too busy hearing music that you are not able to hear us!"
Delhi air quality: Judges accuse authorities of 'passing the buck
Video captionThe BBC's Vikas Pandey shows what it's like driving through the high levels of smog in Delhi.India's top court has accused state governments of "passing the buck" on air pollution and failing to take action to tackle Delhi's toxic smog.
The Supreme Court said authorities were only interested in "gimmicks", rather than concrete measures to combat pollution levels.
Levels of dangerous particles in the air - known as PM2.5 - are at well over 10 times safe limits in the capital.
City authorities have responded by launching a car rationing system.
"Delhi is choking every year and we are unable to do anything," said Supreme Court Justice Arun Mishra. "The state machinery is not acting… They are passing the buck to each other... Everybody is interested in gimmicks and elections."
From 4 to 15 November, cars with odd or even number plates will only be allowed on the roads on alternate days, officials said. Such a system has been used before but it is not clear if it helps lower pollution levels.
Video caption'It's making us sick but we have nowhere to go': Delhi's homeless sleep in the smogCars are not believed to be the main cause of Delhi's toxic air, with experts pointing instead to crop burning by farmers in neighbouring states to clear fields.
Health officials have asked people to stay indoors and refrain from doing any physical activity as millions are at risk of respiratory illness. Schools are closed until Tuesday and the shutdown is likely to be extended until Friday as the city chokes under a thick blanket of smog.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the car rationing system, known as the "odd-even plan", would take hundreds of thousands of cars off the road. Those ignoring the rule face a fine of 4,000 rupees (£44; $56) - double that of previous years.
It's a struggle to breathe
by Krutika Pathi, BBC News, Delhi
Teary eyes, a throat like sandpaper, and a hacking cough that left me breathless - these were the side effects after I went for a walk around my neighbourhood in Delhi.
Whenever "pollution season" starts to set in, I notice the changes in my body rather quickly.
I've lost count of the number of times I've woken up with a severe cough during the winter season.
From your nose to your chest, it feels like things aren't working the way they should be. On some days, it's just a blocked nose and on others, it's almost a struggle to breathe normally.
The effects go beyond the physical too. I'm constantly thinking about Air Quality Index numbers and whether the air is breathable - I even activate my air purifier via an app as I leave work so that my room has clean air by the time I'm home.
"The perfect storm of conditions during November has created almost 30% higher atmospheric concentrations of fine particulate matter," said a Cornell University study published in July.
Delhi's geography - it is landlocked and sits on a flat plain that is blocked off by the Himalayas - means it is more drastically affected. Only public transport, emergency vehicles, taxis and two-wheelers will be allowed. Women driving alone will also be exempt from the rule.
The Supreme Court has ordered Delhi's state government to produce data which proves that the car rationing system works.
What's caused the pollution?
Experts say emissions from vehicles are just one of several factors that have turned the city into - in Mr Kejriwal's words - a "gas chamber".
A major cause of the high pollution levels at this time of year is farmers in neighbouring states burning crop stubble to clear their fields. This creates a lethal cocktail of particulate matter and gases - carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide - all worsened by fireworks set off during the Hindu festival of Diwali a week ago. Construction and industrial emissions have also contributed to the smog.
- How a food crisis led to Delhi's foul smog
- Millions of masks given out in 'gas chamber' Delhi
- Delhi's foul air came from India's farming revolution
- How do Ultra Low Emissions Zones work?
Efforts to identify a cause have sparked a row between state and federal politicians, with Mr Kejriwal calling on the neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana to crack down on crop burning. Federal Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar accused Mr Kejriwal of politicising the issue and painting his neighbours as "villains".
The Supreme Court also summoned the chief secretaries of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh states to appear before it to answer questions about efforts to tackle stubble burning.
Replies
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Your home planet is your first priority...DO NOT LOOK FOR OTHER PLANETS TO LIVE ON IT'S YOUR DUTY TO LOOK AFTER YOUR HOME PLANET FIRST...meaning IT'S YOUR DUTY TO MAKE HEAVEN ON EARTH
India must concentrate on improving life in India ..all money must be spending on improving life in India and when every one is happy then they can plan missions to other planets.
The PM of India must concentrate on improving life in India not seek an excape to the moon