Many of India's big cities are experiencing such air pollution that it almost defies . The standard measurement for , normal, breathable air is set at a of 50 according to the Air Quality Index (AQI). A level of 300 means the air is hazardous to breathe. The AQI website says 300 represents a health and the city should be put under emergency . The website says that, "everyone may experience more health effects". On November 8, the city of Chandrapur in Maharashtra reached an AQI level of 824, to become India's polluted city. The capital New Delhi has reached an AQI of 724. Environmentalists say many cities are like "gas ".
A toxic haze shrouds India's capital and are being warned to wear . Schools were ordered closed for three days. New Delhi generally has its share of pollution problems due to the nine million that clog its streets, most not conforming to emissions . The situation has been made worse recently due to a number of . These include chemical pollution blowing in from states, farmers setting fire to straw as autumn arrives, and a lack of . To alleviate the crisis, city officials have ordered roads to be doused with water to stop from rising. They have also banned diesel-powered electricity generators for 10 days, except at and cellphone towers.
