AIR POLLUTION IN DELHI CLOSES SCHOOLS

New Delhi’s government has closed schools for the week, and paused building activities as the air quality index or AQI (which measures levels of pollution), reached dangerously high levels last week.

The index which goes from 0-500, measures 0 as good, 150 as unhealthy and 500 as hazardous. . Last Friday, the air in New Delhi measured 470. Earlier last week, the

AQI in some areas reached 999.

The air pollution, or “smog”, holds dangerous chemicals, as well as billions of tiny bits of dust and pollution. These tiny “particles”, which can be smaller than 1/30 of the width of a human hair, are especially dangerous.

Breathing brings these particles deep into the lungs, where they can cause many different sicknesses, from coughs, headaches, and sore throats to asthma, lung problems, and even cancer. A recent study reported that in 2019, air pollution killed about 1.67 million people in India.