New Delhi officials have ordered a two-day halt to construction in an attempt to reduce choking pollution that has cloaked the Indian capital in smog and dust.
The Central Pollution Control Board rated the city’s air quality on Friday as “severe” — the worst category — for the fourth day in a row.
New Delhi’s level of PM2.5, tiny particulate matter that can dangerously clog lungs, exceeded 170 on Friday morning, more than six times higher than the World Health Organisation considers safe.
The New Delhi government has made sporadic attempts in recent years to control worsening air pollution, including stricter emission levels for cars and a tax on diesel-fuelled trucks entering the city.
But experts say there is little that can be accomplished without concerted national efforts, and pollution has only become worse.
