Delhi battles dual crises of virus and pollution WHAT’S CHANgED IN 24 HOURS

new delhi — India’s capital is reeling from the double impact of the coronavirus and severe air pollution, New Delhi’s chief minister warned on Thursday, as the megacity reported a record jump in cases and its worst smog in a year.

With fears growing about rising infections, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also banned firecrackers from being used this month during Diwali.

The air quality index — measuring the tiny particles which enter the bloodstream and vital organs — was at its most dangerous since last November, according to the state-run System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR).

The toxic haze blanketing Delhi, which regularly turns the city of 20 million people into the world’s most-polluted, came as officials late on Wednesday reported a new daily-high of 6,842 virus infections in the capital.

And the filthy air is actually driving more cases of Covid-19, Kejriwal told an online briefing. “The corona situation is worsening because of pollution,” he said, echoing medical analysis which says existing illnesses caused by poor air quality could make people more vulnerable to the coronavirus.

Anumita Roy Chowdhury, of the Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment, said: “Some global studies have already shown how the effect of the pandemic is higher in more polluted regions.”

Kejriwal blamed the choking smoke on agricultural burning, saying regional state governments were not helping farmers to find alternative ways to clear their fields.

“We will come together to celebrate Diwali without crackers. If we burst crackers, we are affecting the lives of our family and our children,” he added. —

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