Residents in Delhi, India are being asked by their government to stay home to avoid the city’s dangerous polluted air and water. Those who leave their homes are asked to wear face masks as the silt in the air is coughing lung and throat damage. Schools were even asked to shut down keeping millions of children at home. The cloud of smog over Delhi is so bad that “A combination of smoke from burning farm residue in surrounding states, fireworks for the Hindu festival of Diwali, dust from construction work and vehicle emissions have pushed pollution levels to their highest in 17 years.” (Reuters, 2016 ). The acidic smog cloud is expected to expand its damage to nearby Indian cities such as Lucknow and several suburbs. The public is making a plea to the Indian Supreme court for authorities to monitor air quality better. As of now, many citizens live in fear.
Similar issues with toxic smog are being reported in several cities and suburbs in Pakistan. The air has been causing increases in respiratory health problems and a spike in car accidents with limited road visibility. Several areas of highways have been shut down because the visibility has become so bad. Construction dust, burning of garbage, factory emissions and motor vehicle exhausts appear to be the biggest contributors to Pakistan’s problem (Associated Press).
The environmental damage of one country will inevitably have rippling effects on others. Now India and Pakistan, where next?