India: New Delhi Shuts Primary Schools as Air Quality Worsens
The Facts
New Delhi's air quality index reached an average of 495 of "larger particulate matter" on Thursday — pollution levels 50 times higher than World Health Organization safety limits — forcing local authorities to suspend in-person classes for primary schools.
As the nation's capital region remained enveloped in toxic smog, the Commission for Air Quality Management invoked stringent anti-pollution measures under Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan — including water sprinkler deployment and a ban on non-essential construction.
The Spin
Narrative A
New Delhi is a landlocked city. Though most of the air pollution comes from illegal farm fires, which the government has no control over, the authorities have taken decisive action through school closures, construction bans, and strict enforcement of anti-pollution measures to reduce the health risks posed by the severe pollution exacerbated by humidity levels, calm winds, and a drop in temperature.
Narrative B
Current anti-pollution measures are largely ineffective, as Delhi remains the second most polluted city globally after Lahore. The annual recurrence of this crisis shows a fundamental failure in addressing deep-rooted causes like industrial emissions and urban planning. Until a framework to regulate pollution across states with shared weather patterns is established, India will continue to lose millions of lives to air pollution.
