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Authorities in the smog-ridden Indian capital New Delhi on Sunday extended an emergency school closure by a week, with no signs of improvement in the megacity\u2019s choking levels of pollution.<\/p>\n
Every autumn New Delhi is blanketed in acrid smog, primarily blamed on stubble burning by farmers in the neighbouring agrarian states.<\/p>\n
The city is regularly ranked as one of the most polluted on the planet, with its annual smog blamed for hundreds of thousands of premature deaths each year.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs pollution levels continue to remain high, primary schools in Delhi will stay closed till 10th November,\u201d Delhi state\u2019s education minister Atishi posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.<\/p>\n
Secondary schools \u201care being given the option of shifting to online classes\u201d, added Atishi, who uses only one name, after days of high pollution levels.<\/p>\n
The Indian capital \u2014 which has a population of 30 million \u2014 once again ranked as the world\u2019s most polluted city Sunday, according to monitoring firm IQAir.<\/p>\n
Delhi state annually imposes restrictions on construction activities and orders some vehicles off roads when pollution reaches severe levels.<\/p>\n
But critics say that governments wilfully ignore the agricultural primary source of the public health crisis.<\/p>\n
The farmers in neighbouring states are a powerful electoral lobby and elected leaders have long resisted calls to impose strict fines and other punitive measures on them for their actions.<\/p>\n
New Delhi is set to host a cricket World Cup match on Monday between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.<\/p>\n