(Adnkronos) – Construction sites in New Delhi are to be halted for six weeks in an attempt to curb the smog emergency that chokes the Indian capital every winter. The ban on construction and demolition will come into effect on December 10 and remain in force until January 20, as part of the plan developed by authorities to tackle the seasonal pollution peak. The measure is in addition to car traffic restrictions, designed to encourage citizens to use public transport more. “Implementing these strict measures in advance will help prevent air quality from reaching dangerous levels this winter,” said Indian Environment Minister, Manjinder Singh Sirsa.
Every winter, the Indian capital, home to approximately 30 million inhabitants, is enveloped in a blanket of smog. Traffic emissions and industrial activities are compounded by smoke from agricultural fires in surrounding regions. However, the construction halt will come at a social cost: thousands of construction workers will be without income during the six-week suspension. Authorities have already experimented with various anti-smog measures, from restrictions on fossil fuel-powered vehicles to the use of trucks equipped with water-misting systems to reduce dust. Interventions which, according to available analyses, have not yet produced significant results.
A study published in Lancet estimated that between 2009 and 2019, air pollution was associated with 3.8 million deaths in India. Furthermore, according to the Centre for Science and Environment, vehicles contribute to over half of the capital’s air pollution.
