New restrictions kick in as Delhi battles pollution

 Authorities in New Delhi stepped up anti-pollution measures on Sunday, including higher parking fees and work-from-home orders, seeking to curb toxic smog in one of the world's most polluted capitals.

The restrictions, which came into force on Sunday, include a doubling of vehicle parking charges and work-from-home arrangements for government and private-sector offices aimed at cutting traffic emissions.

Authorities will also bar vehicles that do not comply with mandated emission standards from entering the capital, while a ban on all dust-generating demolition and outdoor construction activity takes effect immediately.

"From Nov.1... Delhi's Winter Action Plan comes into effect with stricter pollution controls, stronger enforcement and 24×7 monitoring," Chief Minister Rekha Gupta's office said in a statement.

"We humbly request all Delhiites to follow the guidelines and contribute towards making Delhi's air cleaner and healthier."

Delhi's government has already rolled out a range of pollution-control measures over the past month, including a ban on rubbish burning and restrictions on food stalls using coal or firewood.

But similar efforts in previous years have done little to prevent the annual smog that engulfs the megacity from November to January, when cooler temperatures trap pollutants close to the ground.

Major sources of pollution include vehicle emissions, coal-fired power plants, industrial activity, construction dust and the burning of crop residue in neighbouring states.

Vehicles account for 23 per cent of Delhi's winter pollution, while biomass burning, including farm stubble fires, contributes 20 percent, according to India's environment ministry.

Industry, including coal-fired power plants, contributes about nine percent.

Levels of PM2.5, tiny cancer-causing particles that can penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream, frequently exceed 300 micrograms per cubic metre during peak winter months, around 20 times the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommended daily limit.

Last year, pollution levels peaked at 846 micrograms per cubic metre, or 56 times the WHO guideline.

On Sunday, monitors recorded PM 2.5 at 201 micrograms per cubic metre, over 13 times the safe limit, a reading that was likely helped by intermittent rain over the last few days.

A 2024 study published in The Lancet Planetary Health estimated that 3.8 million deaths in India between 2009 and 2019 were linked to air pollution.

Agence France-Presse