Pollution is exacerbated by cooler temperatures and slow winds (Representation)
New Delhi:
The national capital is reeling from the double impact of the coronavirus and severe air pollution, New Delhi’s chief minister warned Thursday, as the megalopolis reported a record increase in cases and its worst smog in a year .
With growing fears about the rise in infections, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also banned the use of firecrackers this month during Diwali, the biggest festival on the Hindu calendar.
The air quality index – measuring the tiny particles that enter the bloodstream and vital organs – was at its most dangerous level since last November, according to the state’s Weather Forecast and Research System. air quality (SAFAR).
The toxic haze that blankets Delhi, which regularly turns the city of 20 million people into the most polluted city in the world, came as officials reported a new daily record of 6,842 viral infections in the capital on Wednesday evening.
And dirty air actually leads to more cases of Covid-19, Kejriwal said in an online briefing.
“The corona situation is getting worse due to pollution,” he said, echoing a medical analysis that says existing illnesses caused by poor air quality could make people more vulnerable to coronavirus .
Anumita Roy Chowdhury, of the Delhi-based Center for Science and Environment, told AFP: “Some global studies have already shown how the effect of the pandemic is greater in more polluted regions.”
And Santosh Harish, of the Delhi-based Center for Policy Research, said: “Evidence from previous related infections and emerging research suggests that exposure to pollution could increase the severity of infection and transmission of the virus. “
No more burning of crops
Mr Kejriwal blamed the sweltering smoke on farm burning, saying regional state governments were not helping farmers find alternative ways to clear their fields.
“We will come together to celebrate Diwali without crackers. If we pop crackers, we affect the lives of our families and our children,” he added.
The cracker frenzy usually turns the gray winter sky of Delhi into putrid yellow.
Every winter Delhi is covered in haze from a build-up of vehicle fumes, industrial emissions and smoke from agricultural fires in the areas around the capital.
Pollution is exacerbated by cooler temperatures and slow winds that trap pollutants above the city.
SAFAR said Thursday that the stubble burn in states near the capital was the highest this season with some 4,135 fires.
India is the second most infected country in the world after the United States with more than 8.3 million cases of Covid-19.
Health systems, already stretched by the pandemic, could be further stressed by more hospitalizations due to pollution-related illnesses, researchers say.
