Delhi smog: Citizens share photos of 'zero visibility' in Delhi-NCR

While a blanket of thick smog continued to cover Delhi and other National Capital Region (NCR) cities, Delhiites on Monday compared the city’s condition to J K Rowling’s Harry Potter world, where “people have turned into living embodiments of dementors”.

Despite the India Meteorological Department (IMD) clarifying that Delhi’s air will become clearer by Wednesday, people from the city took to social media to vent out their frustration.

It has been a week since Delhi residents woke up to thick smog and smell of charred fireworks last Monday. Today, the citizens of Delhi, Gurgaon and Noida tweeted and shared photos of the smoggy Delhi roads on Facebook. They complained about breathing difficulties and 'zero visibility'. One Twitter user aptly said: “We have turned into living embodiments of dementors that JK Rowling had imagined in her world”.

Here are some posts:

The story so far

According to System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), the concentration of Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5 in the air would be higher than other days, touching 613 micrograms per cubic metre. It also added that this year's weather is 'unusual' and is adding to the accumulation of pollutants.

IMD on Monday predicted that Delhi residents can hope for a clear sky on Wednesday.

Since November 1, a thick blanket of smog has colonised Delhi-NCR. Smoke from crop burning by farmers in Haryana and Punjab and Diwali fireworks have led to a major degradation of air.
 

The steps taken by the govt

More than 1,800 primary schools have been shut to protect children from exposure to air pollution.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal called for an urgent meeting on Sunday to discuss the situation. He announced some measures like closing schools and stopping construction for a few days. Diesel generators have been banned; the government would, instead, supply power to unauthorised colonies that use diesel generators. An app to monitor burning of leaves will be launched for the environment ministry. Water sprinkling on all roads start from today.

The Supreme Court will hear on Tuesday a plea on Delhi's alarming state. A bench of Chief Justice T S Thakur, Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice L Nageswara Rao agreed to hear the matter after Sunita Narain of the Centre for Science and Environment told the court that there was no effective implementation of the directions issued by the apex court last year. The Court was also given the report by the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority for NCR.