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Pollution in the capital: Primary schools to be closed in Delhi, says Manish Sisodia

Pollution in the capital: Primary schools to be closed in Delhi, says Manish Sisodia

Heavy smog in Delhi

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Sisodia said if the pollution worsened then odd-even scheme for private vehicles will be back in the national capital.

Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said today primary schools will remain closed on Wednesday as pollution levels in the city reached dangerous levels on Tuesday.

Sisodia said if the pollution worsened then the odd-even scheme for private vehicles will be back in the national capital.

"Construction work will be stopped in Delhi," the deputy chief minister said.

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Earlier in the day, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had asked Sisodia to shut down schools as the pollution levels rose alarmingly in the capital today.

A thick blanket of smog engulfed Delhi and its adjoining areas on Tuesday morning, with visibility dropping drastically. Many flights and trains were delayed.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) declared it a public health emergency and suggested schools to be to shut down and cancellation of the upcoming half marathon saying consequences of poor quality for runners could be "disastrous".

The US embassy website said that levels of the fine pollutants, known as PM2.5 which are most harmful to health, reached 703 which was well over double the threshold of 300 that authorities term as "hazardous".