India: Delhi Schools Shut As Air Pollution Worsens

India shut down Delhi schools and colleges, until further notice, calling on people to work from home, authorities announced on Wednesday.

The nation also banned non-essential trucks from entering the Indian capital due to dangerous levels of air pollution.

Delhi, one of the world's most polluted cities and home to some 20 million people, is cloaked every winter in a thick blanket of smog. Therefore, the Delhi government ordered schools to close for a week and banned construction work for four days.

Also, the Commission for Air Quality Management for Delhi announced that all education institutions should remain shut until further notice.

Lorries except those carrying essential goods are not allowed to enter the capital until November 21 and most construction activity was halted, according to the order.

"Anti-smog guns" and water sprinklers were ordered to operate at hotspots at least three times a day.

Moreover, six of the 11 thermal power plants within a 300-kilometre radius were told to cease operations until further notice.

The commission also pointed out that at least 50 percent of staff employed in government should work from home and encouraged those in private firms to follow suit.

The order comes days after the Delhi government pushed back against a call by India's Supreme Court to declare a "pollution lockdown" -- a first -- which would restrict the city's population to their homes.