20 times the threshold recommended by the WHO: in New Delhi, new restrictions to fight pollution

Authorities in New Delhi on Sunday stepped up anti-pollution measures, including increasing parking fees and ordering teleworking, to reduce the toxic fog enveloping one of the world's most polluted capitals.

Coming into force on Sunday, these measures include a doubling of parking fees and the use of teleworking in the public and private sectors in order to limit emissions from automobile traffic.

“Make the air” “cleaner and healthier”

The authorities will also prohibit access to the capital to vehicles that do not comply with current emission standards, while an immediate ban on all open-air demolition and construction activities generating dust has been introduced. "From November 1... Delhi's winter action plan comes into effect with stricter pollution controls, strengthened enforcement and 24/7 monitoring," Chief Minister Rekha Gupta's office said in a statement.

“We request all residents of Delhi to follow the guidelines and help make Delhi's air cleaner and healthier,” she added. In recent weeks, authorities have already implemented measures, including a ban on burning waste, and imposed restrictions on food vendors using charcoal or wood as fuel.

20 times the recommended threshold

So far, the measures adopted in recent years have proved ineffective in combating the layer of pollution that covers the megacity of 30 million inhabitants between November and January, a period during which cooler temperatures keep pollutants close to the ground. This thick toxic fog is generated by factories, automobile traffic, to which is added each winter the fumes from agricultural burning coming from surrounding regions and coal-fired power plants.

According to the Indian Environment Ministry, vehicles are responsible for 23% of winter pollution in Delhi and the burning of organic matter 20%. PM2.5 concentrations often exceed 20 times the threshold recommended by the World Health Organization and reached a peak of 846 micrograms per cubic meter last year, or 56 times the maximum daily threshold recommended by the WHO.

On Sunday, the PM2.5 level reached 201 micrograms, more than 13 times the limit, according to an air quality monitoring agency. According to a report published in 2023 by the British medical journal The Lancet, more than 7% of deaths in the country's 10 largest cities are linked to air pollution