In the first week of November this year, the capital’s 24-hour average air pollution — 900micrograms per cubic meter of particulate matter finer than 2.5 micrometers — was 40 times higher than the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines (25ug/m3) and around 15 times higher than the Indian standards (60ug/m3).
All segments of the city’s population — children, senior citizens, construction labourers, street workers, people who work from home as well as sportspersons — were affected by the envelop of smog.
The nation’s capital needs a strong pollution control plan, which will pave a road map for the years to come.
Take a look at how different categories of people in Delhi are affected by its foul air and how poisonous elements have wreaked havoc on people’s health, livelihood and lifestyle.
No child’s play: Children are worst affected
Confined to their homes, forced to wear masks when going out, children’s young lungs subject to a dangerous cocktail of toxic gases and deadly particulate matter.
Bad ‘old’ days: Ageing inside a dust ball
A spike in the pollution levels can turn into a chronic and even fatal infection for an older person.
While a person spends four hours on an average on travelling, there are thousands who have to spend up to seven hours on the roads every day.
Build up to pollution: Unsafe construction sites
In Delhi, around 4,000 tonnes of construction waste is generated every day. This constitutes around 40% of the total waste generated in the city.
Unsafe within four walls: Indoor pollution is killing you
Indoors or outdoors, pollution doesn’t discriminate. It kills equally.
Pollution beats Delhi’s champs: Fitness freaks at greater risk
Research has shown that outdoor exercise does more harm than good, if pollution levels are high.
