"NEW DELHI - Authorities in New Delhi ordered primary schools to shut from Saturday, and told schools to stop outdoor activities for older children as air in the world's most polluted capital had become a severe risk to health.
A filthy smog forms over the Indian capital every winter as cold, heavy air traps construction dust, vehicle emissions and smoke from crop stubble burning in neighbouring states, causing a surge in respiratory illnesses among the city's 20 million people.
As the air quality index (AQI) topped the 400-mark putting most districts of the capital territory in the "severe" or "hazardous" category on Friday, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal instructed the schools to take action and warned that more measures could be introduced to restrict the number of vehicles on the roads."
