AMBIENTE
India ierra escuelas cuando la calidad del aire se vuelve peligrosa
November 3, 2023 - El gobierno ordenó el cierre de escuelas mientras implementa medidas de emergencia para proteger a los más jóvenes, y a los más susceptibles, de los efectos dañinos del aire extremadamente tóxico.
Children in Delhi, India have been removed from schools and ordered to stay home as off-the-chart toxic air levels plague the city.
On Friday, November 3, the air quality index in some areas of India’s capital reached as high as 565 on the AQI index – more than ten times the moderately acceptable level – forcing a halt to construction works and a plea from authorities for people to work from home where possible.
The concentration of fine particulates (known as PM2.5) was 523mg per cubic metre – 105 times higher than recommended World Health Organisation guidelines.
Long term exposure to these particles – which come from a range of sources, including road traffic, construction and biomass burning – have been linked to chronic heart and respiratory conditions, which according to The Lancet, contributed to 3.43 million air pollution-related deaths in India, in 2019.
Air quality in Delhi typically deteriorates between October and November due to a mix of factors including weather patterns, emissions, and low temperatures which hinder pollutants from dispersing.