Masks, Polluted Air Are Back in New Delhi
2023-11-08
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1Face coverings, or masks, are back on the streets of New Delhi as residents deal with an increase in air pollution.
2The city's government has ordered primary schools to close this week and polluting vehicles and building projects are banned.
3A thick cover of smog hangs over New Delhi's monuments and buildings.
4In the Indian capital, officials are struggling to reduce severe air pollution levels.
5Air pollution in New Delhi is a yearly and continuous health crisis that affects the lives of over 20 million in the city.
6On Tuesday, the air quality index came close to the level of 400 for tiny particulate matter.
7That is a level considered dangerous.
8It is more than 10 times the level considered safe, said SAFAR, India's main environmental agency.
9It is the fifth straight day of bad air in the area.
10Officials have released water sprinklers and anti-smog guns to control the pollution.
11They also announced a fine of $240 for drivers found using gasoline and diesel cars, buses and trucks that create smog.
12Meanwhile, doctors have advised residents to wear masks and avoid outdoors as much as possible.
13Residents like 55-year-old Renu Aggarwal are worried the smog will worsen as Diwali approaches this weekend.
14The Hindu festival of light includes the lighting of fireworks.
15Aggarwal said her daughter has a pollen allergy that worsens with pollution.
16"She cannot breathe. Even though we keep the doors and windows shut in our home, the pollution still affects her so much that even going to the washroom is difficult for her. And she gets breathless," she said.
17New Delhi tops the list almost every year of many Indian cities with poor air quality.
18It gets especially bad in the winter when crops are burned in neighboring states and cooler temperatures create smoggy conditions.
19Burning the remains of crops at the start of the winter wheat season is an important cause to the pollution in north India. Officials have been trying to prevent farmers from using the method by offering money to buy machines to turn the soil.
20But the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology says smoke from crop burning still accounts for 25 percent of the pollution in New Delhi.
21Respirer Living Sciences is a group that watches air quality and other environmental signs.
22It said New Delhi saw a sharp 32 percent rise in tiny particles in the air between 2019 and 2020, a decrease of 44 percent in 2021, and a steady increase in 2022 and 2023.
23The severe air pollution crisis affects every resident in the city, but the millions who work outdoors are even more at risk.
24Gulshan Kumar drives a motorized rickshaw.
25He said his nose, throat and eyes regularly fill up with dirt in the air.
26His children urge him to return to his hometown in Bihar state.
27"They ask me why I work in this polluted and diseased city," he said. "If I had had employment back home, I wouldn't have come to Delhi to work."
28I'm Dan Novak.
1Face coverings, or masks, are back on the streets of New Delhi as residents deal with an increase in air pollution. 2The city's government has ordered primary schools to close this week and polluting vehicles and building projects are banned. A thick cover of smog hangs over New Delhi's monuments and buildings. 3In the Indian capital, officials are struggling to reduce severe air pollution levels. Air pollution in New Delhi is a yearly and continuous health crisis that affects the lives of over 20 million in the city. 4On Tuesday, the air quality index came close to the level of 400 for tiny particulate matter. That is a level considered dangerous. It is more than 10 times the level considered safe, said SAFAR, India's main environmental agency. It is the fifth straight day of bad air in the area. 5Officials have released water sprinklers and anti-smog guns to control the pollution. They also announced a fine of $240 for drivers found using gasoline and diesel cars, buses and trucks that create smog. Meanwhile, doctors have advised residents to wear masks and avoid outdoors as much as possible. 6Residents like 55-year-old Renu Aggarwal are worried the smog will worsen as Diwali approaches this weekend. The Hindu festival of light includes the lighting of fireworks. Aggarwal said her daughter has a pollen allergy that worsens with pollution. 7"She cannot breathe. Even though we keep the doors and windows shut in our home, the pollution still affects her so much that even going to the washroom is difficult for her. And she gets breathless," she said. 8New Delhi tops the list almost every year of many Indian cities with poor air quality. It gets especially bad in the winter when crops are burned in neighboring states and cooler temperatures create smoggy conditions. 9Burning the remains of crops at the start of the winter wheat season is an important cause to the pollution in north India. Officials have been trying to prevent farmers from using the method by offering money to buy machines to turn the soil. But the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology says smoke from crop burning still accounts for 25 percent of the pollution in New Delhi. 10Respirer Living Sciences is a group that watches air quality and other environmental signs. It said New Delhi saw a sharp 32 percent rise in tiny particles in the air between 2019 and 2020, a decrease of 44 percent in 2021, and a steady increase in 2022 and 2023. 11The severe air pollution crisis affects every resident in the city, but the millions who work outdoors are even more at risk. 12Gulshan Kumar drives a motorized rickshaw. He said his nose, throat and eyes regularly fill up with dirt in the air. 13His children urge him to return to his hometown in Bihar state. "They ask me why I work in this polluted and diseased city," he said. "If I had had employment back home, I wouldn't have come to Delhi to work." 14I'm Dan Novak. 15Dan Novak adapted this story for VOA Learning English based on reporting by The Associated Press. 16_________________________________________________ 17Words in This Story 18resident - n. a person who legally lives in a particular place 19smog - n. a mixture of smoke and fog 20particulate - n. an amount of tiny particles 21sprinkler - n. simple devices that spread water widely over an area 22pollen allergy -n. a strong reaction to pollen from plants and trees that is in the air, usually in the spring 23respiratory - adj. related to the lungs and breathing 24rickshaw - n. a simple vehicle used to pull or carry things