On Tuesday morning, the air quality in India’s capital under a widely used index stood at 485. Infinitesimal air particles were still clogging lungs and arteries, but it was possible to see sunlight again, and to smell things. “My eyes have a burning feeling during these periods of pollution,” said Vikram Singh, 58, an auto-rickshaw driver in central Delhi, who noted that he also tires more quickly. Every year this suffocating smog accompanies the drop in temperatures as the plains of north India shed their unbearable heat for wintertime cool. And like clockwork, political leaders roll out emergency measures intended to quit making the problem worse.

Source: International New York Times November 20, 2024 14:33 UTC