India's cities now have such hazardous air pollution that it is difficult to believe. The standard for normal air is set at a level of 50 according to the Air Quality Index (AQI). A level of 300 means the air is hazardous and a health alert. The AQI website says, "everyone may experience more serious health effects". Chandrapur reached an AQI level of 824, to become India's most polluted city. Environmentalists say many cities are now full of gas.
Poisonous fog covers India's capital. Schools closed for three days. New Delhi is polluted due to the nine million vehicles on its streets. Most of these break emissions standards. The situation is now worse because chemical pollution is blowing in from nearby states, farmers are setting fire to straw, and there is a lack of wind. To cut pollution, people are watering the streets to stop dust from rising. There is a ban on diesel-powered electricity generators.
