India tightens anti-pollution curbs in capital Delhi as air quality dips
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Delhi’s air quality index hovered above 400 at several monitoring stations on the morning of Nov 11, in the “severe” category.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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NEW DELHI - India imposed stricter anti-pollution measures in its capital New Delhi and adjoining areas on Nov 11, as the air quality deteriorated to “severe” levels, the government body responsible for air quality management said.
The Commission for Air Quality Management said stage three of the Graded Response Action Plan was enforced on Nov 11, “keeping in view the prevailing trend of air quality, and in an effort to prevent further deterioration”.
Under stage three, non-essential construction is banned and curbs on industrial activity using polluting fuels are enforced.
Delhi’s air quality index hovered above 400 at several monitoring stations on the morning of Nov 11, in the “severe” category, as compared with “good” readings below 50, Central Pollution Control Board data showed.
The move follows a weekend protest at the India Gate monument,
Government satellite data showed a rise in crop stubble fires, used by farmers to clear land before the next planting, since the start of November.
In the past, such fires have been a cause for high pollution in northern India.
However, the Indian government said the total number of farm fire incidents from Sept 15 to Nov 9 were much lower in 2025 than in the past.
Delhi and surrounding districts are often covered in smog during winter, as cold, dense air traps emissions from vehicles, construction sites and crop burning, pushing pollution levels to among the highest in the world and exposing the capital’s 30 million residents to severe respiratory risks. REUTERS
