As the city struggles with a sharp drop in air quality over the last three weeks, authorities in New Delhi and the neighbouring districts have fined thousands of car owners and construction sites for breaking pollution laws. The Swiss group IQAir claims that New Delhi is currently the most polluted major metropolis in the world.
Nearly 60,000 cars and more than 7,500 construction sites have been fined, according to officials. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) declared the air quality to be "very poor," with an index score of 373. Unhealthy circumstances are indicated by scores greater than 300. Nearly 3,900 older vehicles were seized, and another 54,000 vehicles were discovered to be missing their pollution under control (PUC) certificates.
Environmental compensation has been mandated for 597 construction sites, with 56 sites ordered to cease operations. New Delhi faces significant pollution challenges every winter, as cold air traps emissions and smoke from agricultural burning in neighbouring states like Punjab and Haryana. Due to this persistent problem, construction operations have been restricted and schools have been closed.
Forecasts indicate that the region's air quality will continue to range from "very poor" to "severe" for the next six days, with the status remaining "very poor". There are major health hazards associated with a "severe" rating, which the CPCB defines as a score between 401 and 500, especially for people who already have health issues.
For four years running, IQAir has ranked New Delhi as the most polluted capital in the world; air quality problems are also common throughout South Asia. Rising pollution levels can shorten life expectancy in the area by more than five years, according to research from the University of Chicago's Energy Policy Institute.
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