【2021 Archives】

It’s becoming increasingly difficult to breathe in India’s capital New Delhi.

People in New Delhi woke up Wednesday to another severe level of air quality021 Archives blanketed by low visibility. The air quality hasn’t improved much in New Delhi even though it has been three days since Diwali.

At the time of writing, the air pollution in the capital city reads 403 AQI (Air Quality Index) PM2.5, according to the U.S. Embassy’s air pollution monitor. The embassy alerts people of "hazardous" air quality, adding that "everyone may experience more serious health effects." PM2.5 describes tiny particles suspended in the air with diametre of 2.5 micrometres or less. These particles can lodge into lungs and cause diseases.

The upper limit of the index stops measuring at 500 AQI. The AQI on Sunday evening was recorded at 1,126. Some places in Delhi are more affected than others. R.K. Puram, for instance, hit 999 AQI PM10 (particulate matters that are 10 or fewer micrometres in diametre) earlier today. It was down to 698 AQI at the time of writing.

New Delhi ranks among the world’s most polluted cities, but in the aftermath of Diwali, a Hindu festival of light, things have gotten worse after people burst crackers over three nights.

The lack of wind has resulted in the thick layer of smog to remain stagnant. According to reports, hospitals are seeing an increasingly growing number of patients with breathing issues. The situation has turned so dire, that Indian military’s top doctor noted that this is a "death sentence" for the children and the aged. "The future looks scary," Lt. Gen. Prasad said.

The air quality, worst according to many, has impacted the daily life of people in New Delhi.

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