{"id":22743,"date":"2023-11-09T05:05:07","date_gmt":"2023-11-09T05:05:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/reeling-under-toxic-air-indias-capital-shuts-schools-the-express-tribune\/"},"modified":"2023-11-09T05:05:07","modified_gmt":"2023-11-09T05:05:07","slug":"reeling-under-toxic-air-indias-capital-shuts-schools-the-express-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/reeling-under-toxic-air-indias-capital-shuts-schools-the-express-tribune\/","title":{"rendered":"Reeling under toxic air, India’s capital shuts schools | The Express Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\nNEW DELHI:
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Reeling under hazardous air quality levels, India’s capital New Delhi shut down all schools for an extended period on Wednesday, the latest in a series of measures to protect residents from growing air pollution.<\/p>\n

Air quality levels in the city were over 320 on the air quality index, a level categorised as ‘hazardous’ by Swiss group IQAir, although it was not as bad as the 400 range hit earlier this week.<\/p>\n

Schools in the capital city would remain closed from Thursday until Nov. 18 on a winter break, which was originally scheduled for January, the Delhi government said in a notification.<\/p>\n

Read also:\u00a0Delhi primary schools to close amidst high pollution levels<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Primary schools in the city had already been shut, as part of measures to protect young children against smog and growing air pollution.<\/p>\n

The world’s most polluted city, with a population of more than 20 million, has stopped construction activities, imposed restrictions on use of vehicles from next week, but wants neighbouring states to control crop residue burning.<\/p>\n

Farmers in Punjab and Haryana usually burn crop stubble left behind after rice is harvested in late October or early November to quickly clear their fields before planting wheat crops.<\/p>\n

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Reuters Graphics<\/p>\n

The practice has been followed for years and the resultant smoke has typically accounted for 30% to 40% of Delhi’s October-November pollution, according to federal government’s air-quality monitoring agency SAFAR.<\/p>\n

On Tuesday, the country’s top court ordered states surrounding New Delhi to stop farmers burning residue.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n