Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV
  • World
  • Mid-East
  • Europe
  • Americas
  • Asia Pacific
  • Africa
  • Syrian Crisis
  • Islamophobia

Delhi suffocates, hours after Trump described India's air quality as 'filthy'

by Agencies

ISTANBUL Oct 23, 2020 - 4:42 pm GMT+3
Delhi engulfed in heavy smog, Oct. 22, 2020. (EPA Photo)
Delhi engulfed in heavy smog, Oct. 22, 2020. (EPA Photo)
by Agencies Oct 23, 2020 4:42 pm
RECOMMENDED
A man carries a child as Rohingya refugees headed to the Bhasan Char island prepare to board navy vessels from Chattogram, Bangladesh, Feb.15, 2021. (AP Photo)

Bangladesh assures UN of no forced return for Rohingya refugees

rohingya-crisis

New Delhi was blanketed in a noxious haze Friday as air pollution levels in parts of the city soared to "severe" levels, hours after U.S. President Donald Trump described the air in the vast nation as "filthy."

Smoke from agricultural burning, vehicle fumes and industrial emissions – combined with cooler temperatures and slow-moving winds that trap pollutants over the city – turns air in the Indian capital into a toxic soup every winter. Air pollution in New Delhi and surrounding cities on Friday was at its worst in eight months, with the air quality index surging above 300 on a scale of 500, indicating "emergency conditions."

The air quality index at Delhi's 36 pollution monitoring sites – which monitors tiny PM2.5 and PM10 particles that get into the bloodstream and vital organs – was between 282 and 446, pushing levels into the "severe" category, the Central Pollution Control Board said.

The "good" category is between 0-50, the government's environmental watchdog added. A "significant increase in stubble fire count" to 1,213 in the Haryana and Punjab states was the highest of the season and made up 17% of Delhi's PM2.5 levels, the state-run System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research added Friday.

"Further deterioration of (air quality) is expected for the two days," SAFAR said.

The worsening conditions came as Trump complained that climate change policies were unfair to the U.S.

Defending the clean air in the United States, Trump made the comment during his final debate on Thursday with Democratic rival Joe Biden ahead of the Nov. 3 presidential election, saying, "Look at China, how filthy it is. Look at Russia, look at India – it's filthy. The air is filthy."

Trump turned to India to defend his decision to pull out of the Paris climate accord, said an environmental expert. The U.S. president claimed that Biden's climate plan was an "economic disaster" for oil states such as Texas and Oklahoma. Meanwhile, Biden said that climate change is "an existential threat to humanity. We have a moral obligation to deal with it."

Trump's remarks come days before Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Mark Esper visit New Delhi for talks on building the growing U.S.-India partnership. At the first presidential debate, Trump also spoke critically of India, questioning its COVID-19 data amid criticism of his handling of the pandemic.

Scientists warned this year's pollution season would make Delhi's 20 million residents more vulnerable to COVID-19.

"Air pollution increases the risk of noncommunicable diseases – the same underlying conditions that make people more likely to experience severe illness or death from COVID-19," epidemiologist Sumi Mehta from the global nonprofit Vital Strategies told Agence France Presse (AFP).

Health care systems, stretched by the pandemic, could be further stressed by more hospitalizations from pollution-related illnesses, researchers added.

"There are serious worries that during winter when higher air pollution levels, in any case, worsens respiratory illness and increases hospitalization, the vulnerability to COVID-19 may be further enhanced," Anumita Roy Chowdhury of the Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment said.

The chief medical officer of Gurugram city near New Delhi, Virender Yadav, told The Times of India Thursday some recovering COVID-19 patients were experiencing a reoccurrence of respiratory conditions triggered by the heightened air pollution.

The planet has already warmed by around 1 degree Celsius (34 degrees Fahrenheit) from preindustrial levels, enough to boost the intensity of deadly heatwaves, droughts and tropical storms.

RECOMMENDED
A man carries a child as Rohingya refugees headed to the Bhasan Char island prepare to board navy vessels from Chattogram, Bangladesh, Feb.15, 2021. (AP Photo)

Bangladesh assures UN of no forced return for Rohingya refugees

rohingya-crisis
  • shortlink copied
  • Last Update: Oct 23, 2020 5:53 pm
    RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    air pollution india new delhi united states donald trump joe biden presidential debates
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    A general view of Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum in Purple Mountai, Nanjing, China. (Photo courtesy by Ahmet Faruk Işık)

    Seed of modern Turkish diplomacy in China: Nanjing city

    Nanjing
    A fragment of the statue of Pan, the Greek god of shepherds and flocks in Greek mythology, discovered in Saraçhane Archaeology Park, Istanbul, Türkiye, June 1, 2023. (DHA Photo)

    Excavations in Istanbul unearth statue of Greek deity Pan

    pan

    Ancient Roman garrison unearthed at Zerzevan Castle in Türkiye

    ZERZEVAN-CASTLE

    Turkish exporters hope to clinch record of over $267B in annual sales

    foreign-trade
    No Image
    Brazil marks independence with protests for and against Bolsonaro
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021