New Delhi to ban construction for six weeks to tackle air pollution

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NEW DELHI, India - New Delhi will ban construction for six weeks in the country's capital, as part of a slew of measures announced on Monday to tackle the city's air pollution.

Delhi, a sprawling megacity of 30 million people, is regularly ranked among the world's most polluted capitals due to a mix of emissions from power plants, heavy traffic, construction activity and the burning of crop stubble.

The construction ban will run from December 10 to January 20 as part of a winter action plan which will include restrictions on vehicular traffic aimed at encouraging residents to use public transport.

"Early implementation of these stringent measures would help prevent the city's air from reaching hazardous levels during winter," Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa told reporters.

Air pollution in Delhi regularly reaches dangerous levels during winter months when cooler air traps pollutants close to the ground.

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

Levels of cancer-causing PM 2.5 microparticles often hit more than 300 micrograms per cubic meter in the city, 20 times the World Health Organization's recommended daily maximum.

Government-led initiatives such as partial restrictions on fossil fuel-powered transport and water trucks spraying mist to clear the air have failed to make a noticeable impact.

Under the new plan, Sirsa said "staggered office timings will be implemented from November 1 to February 28 to reduce peak-hour traffic congestion and vehicular emissions".

Parking fees will also be doubled from November 1 to discourage the use of private vehicles.

"We hope we will do better than last year and keep on improving the situation from year to year," Sirsa said. — Agence France-Presse