Many of India's big cities are such hazardous air pollution that it almost belief. The standard measurement for healthy, normal, breathable air is at a level of 50 according to the Air Quality Index (AQI). A level of 300 the air is hazardous to . The AQI website says 300 a health alert and the city should be under emergency conditions. The website says that, "everyone may more serious health effects". On November 8, the city of Chandrapur in Maharashtra reached an AQI level of 824, to become India's most polluted city. The capital New Delhi has an AQI of 724. Environmentalists say many cities now like "gas chambers".
A toxic haze India's capital and residents are warned to wear masks. Schools were ordered closed for three days. New Delhi generally its fair share of pollution problems due to the nine million vehicles that its streets, most not conforming to emissions standards. The situation has been worse recently due to a number of factors. These include chemical pollution in from nearby states, farmers setting fire to straw as autumn , and a lack of wind. To the crisis, city officials have ordered roads to be with water to stop dust from rising. They have also diesel-powered electricity generators for 10 days, except at hospitals and cellphone towers.
