A thick, gray mist, a permanent burning smell, completely stale air, attacking the eyes, throat and lungs: the trap of extreme winter pollution has closed on the inhabitants of northern India and Pakistan . In the two neighboring regions, human health is threatened.
Sunday, November 17, turned into a nightmare in the Indian capital, New Delhi. The atmosphere continued to deteriorate throughout the day, reaching an air quality index of 1,500 around 8:30 p.m. Monday the 18th in the morning, the threshold of 1,800 was crossed. At this level, any prolonged outing outdoors is hazardous, the air quality being considered poor above an index of 50, and extremely poor above 300.
However, the streets were crowded and almost no residents wore protective masks, unaware of the danger. “What do you want me to do?” That I stay at home and stop feeding my family? »exclaims Rajesh, a street vendor from momosa Himalayan ravioli specialty, parked with its cart at the exit of the Chhatarpur district.
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The deterioration is partly due to arson of stubble in Punjab’s fields, lit by farmers to eliminate rice crop residues and move on to the next seeds more quickly. Northwest-oriented winds blew the smoke over the capital, where the difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures created a sort of lid, preventing pollutants from dissipating. On a clear day, the atmosphere improves a little with the appearance of the sun, but on Sunday it remained hidden by mist.
The authorities, unable to put an end to these harmful agricultural practices, launched an emergency plan on Sunday: stopping construction sites, banning the entry of trucks into the capital. Schools had already been closed earlier in the week. Nobody expects a miracle.
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The apathy of public authorities and the inability of the Supreme Court to force the authorities to act against pollution lead to the repetition of this scenario every winter, with dramatic health consequences: the latest study in the journal The Lancet, published in 2021, estimated the number of victims of pollution in India at 1.6 million deaths in 2019.
“Uncontrollable crisis”
The Indian government is locked in denial, like the health minister who, in July, told Parliament that“there is no [avait] no conclusive data available to establish a direct correlation between deaths and illnesses due exclusively to air pollution”. “It’s the government’s standard response to most public health issues – questioning data or estimates and listing actions taken – whether it’s air pollution, Covid- 19 or malnutrition », denounces Anand Krishnan, doctor in the largest public hospital in Delhi.
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