Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 06:31pm on 19 Nov 2024,Tuesday Weather & Environment
Delhi's air pollution reached catastrophic levels, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) hitting a severe-plus 484, the highest this year. Schools and offices were closed, heavy vehicles barred, and construction halted. The smog, attributed to stubble burning, vehicle emissions, and industrial pollution, affects over 30M residents, reducing life expectancy by seven years. Historian William Dalrymple called the situation "a choking death trap." Poor families, like Shagun Devi's, face dire health impacts without access to air purifiers. The Supreme Court declared clean air a fundamental right, urging urgent government action, though measures remain largely ineffective.
