The panel also directed the affected states to encourage work from home for half of the employees in all private offices. 21 and banned trucks carrying non-essential goods. Soaring pollution levels in the capital prompted a federal environment ministry panel to issue strict guidelines Tuesday night to stem the pollution and show residents that the government is taking action against a crisis that has plagued the city for years.īesides closing schools and shutting down some power plants, the Commission for Air Quality Management ordered a stop to construction until Nov. And we also have to keep in mind that the economy is already under pressure, poor people are at risk,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director at the Center for Science and Environment, a research and advocacy organization in New Delhi. “This is not the solution that we are looking for, because this is hugely disruptive.
Some experts said a lockdown would achieve very little in controlling pollution and would instead cause disruptions in the economy and harm the livelihoods of millions of people. READ MORE: More access to education could close the gender inequality gap Authorities are discussing whether to allow industries to continue operating. It’s not clear how extensive the lockdown would be.
The New Delhi state government said it is open to the idea of a weekend lockdown to reduce automobile traffic and potentially other air-polluting activity in the city, and it is awaiting the go-ahead from India’s Supreme Court. The dirty-air crisis in the city of more than 20 million people has underscored India’s heavy dependence on coal, which accounts for 70% of the country’s power. NEW DELHI (AP) - Authorities closed schools indefinitely and shut down some coal-burning power plants Wednesday to reduce air pollution in India’s smog-shrouded capital and neighboring states, as the country weighs an unprecedented and more far-reaching step: a lockdown in New Delhi.
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