Tourists visiting the Indian capital face a new challenge. They can still visit landmarks such as Jama Masjid, the city’s Grand Mosque, but it is barely possible to see them through the thick smog.<br /><br />And as well as donning modest garments, visitors have started wearing masks, too.<br /><br />However, whilst they have the option to leave, locals are stuck breathing in the harmful particulates.<br /><br />Schools closed<br /><br />Over 4,000 schools in New Dehli have been closed after levels of air pollution hit a record high.<br /><br />The Air Quality Index, which measures the concentration of poisonous particulate matter in the air, stands at 614, over 6 times the level considered safe. The maximum reading on the scale is 500.<br /><br />“You can see if you run or if you cycle, the amount of pressure you have to exert to breathe in, is tremendously high,” explains local resident, Subhankar Tomar.<br /><br />Chaos on the roads<br /><br />On the roads, visibility is poor, causing accidents and several highway pile-ups. But the smog is deadly for pedestrians, too:<br /><br />00.28 SOT LOCAL RESIDENT, SUBHANKAR TOMAR:<br /><br />“You can see if you run or if you cycle, the amount of pressure you have to exert to breathe in, is tremendously high.”<br /><br />00.35 TOURISTS WEARING MASKS AND WALKING BACK AT JAMA MASJID<br /><br />Locals are accustomed to noxious air, but now even tourists have started wearing masks.<br /><br />As the authorities struggle to get to grips with the problem, New Delhi’s chief minister has described the city as “a gas chamber.”<br /><br />00.50 END<br />
