At least five people died and several others were injured in vehicle pile-ups as smog hampered visibility on the highway in Haryana on Sunday, The Hindu reported. A woman was killed in a collision involving multiple vehicles on the Karnal highway, Police Inspector Shamsher Singh said. In Rohtak, four motorcycle-borne men were involved in a fatal collision with other vehicles on the highway, officials said. The injured are being treated at local hospitals.
Elsewhere, in Punjab's Moga, officials said 70-year-old Jeeto Kaur succumbed to burn injuries she secured from a stubble fire (the burning of the straw left behind after the harvest of wheat and other crops), The Times of India reported. Stubble fires are a major contributor to rising pollution levels. On November 5, the National Green Tribunal had asked the environment secretaries of the four states of Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan to submit a report on the burning of agricultural residues.
Police said they are trying to tackle traffic jams caused by the accidents on the National Highway. The Centre will host an emergency meeting with the chief ministers of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajathan and Punjab on November 7 to discuss ways to reduce pollution levels in the National Capital Region, ANI reported. Meanwhile, the Delhi government has initiated several measures to arrest pollution levels.
The quality of the National Capital Region’s air has dropped significantly since the city celebrated Diwali on October 30. Cooler temperatures and a lack of wind caused a harmful mix of respirable pollutants and toxic gases to remain close to the surface. The Centre for Science and Environment had said that Delhi has not been hit by smog this bad in 17 years.
