Remote lessons and no playing out as air pollution worsens in India

Doctors have advised people to avoid going outdoors in the pollution unless absolutely necessary

Children are being advised not to go outside in India's capital city, Delhi.

Schools have been asked to run hybrid classes for primary students, which is a mixture of home and in-person lessons.

It's all because the air quality has become so bad that it's a danger to people's health.

The current levels of pollution are 30 times higher than the World Health Organisation safe limit, and about eight times high than India's national average.

So why is this happning and what is being done to help? Read on to find out.

Why is the air so bad?

Smog has covered the city

Delhi is one of the most polluted cities in the world and has impacted people who live there for many years.

There isn't a single cause behind the problem, but a mixture of different factors like pollution from cars and factories.

However, in winter the air quality gets particularly bad.

That's because there are low wind speeds which means any air pollution doesn't get blown away.

Also farmers burn the remains of their crops at this time of year which can add to the pollution.

What is the government doing?

Smog guns are being used to spray water to help settle the dust in the city

The Delhi city authorities have a set of special measures to try and contain pollution levels.

On Tuesday this week, stage three was implemented. This means mining activity has been banned, stone crushing and only some vehicles carrying goods are allowed.

Doctors have advised people not to go outside, but if they have to, they hav been told to wear protective masks.

Some people in India are very unhappy with the levels of pollution in the city and protested last week, saying the government needs to do more.

The Delhi government says they are working hard "towards pollution control".

What is air pollution?

Air pollution is a term that describes the harmful gases and particles in the air.

We can't always see these substances, but they affect the quality of the air around us and can be very damaging to human health.

Pollution also affects the environment and causes damage to land, air and water.