Hello
The smog-filled air, which usually covers Indian cities during the winter months, contains dangerously high levels of fine particulate matter.
According to the 2021 World Air Quality Report only three per cent of cities and no single country has met the latest WHO PM2.5 annual air quality guidelines.
On Thursday, the Supreme Court had expressed its dismay over the government's decision to reopen schools and colleges.
Experts attributed this to the shifting of the peak stubble burning period by around a week due to a prolonged monsoon season.
It also said that only five of the 11 thermal power plants located within 300 km radius of Delhi NTPC, Jhajjar; Mahatma Gandhi TPS, CLP Jhajjar; Panipat TPS, HPGCL; Nabha Power Ltd. TPS, Rajpura and Talwandi Sabo TPS, Mansa will remain operational till November 30.
A bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana said the situation of pollution is so bad that people are wearing masks inside their houses.
India was home to 35 of the world's 50 most polluted cities, according to IQAir's 2020 World Air Quality Report, which gathered data for 106 countries.
In 2019, 1.67 million lives were lost in India as a whole due to toxic air, according to The Lancet.