Schools ordered to close in Delhi and Punjab province as neighbouring countries battle dangerous air pollution

India’s capital, Delhi, has ordered all primary schools to cease in-person classes until further notice while Pakistan’s Punjab province has declared a health emergency, banning construction, shutting schools for another week and moving universities online, as both countries battle an air pollution crisis.

Delhi and the surrounding metropolitan area, home to more than 30 million people, consistently tops world rankings for air pollution in winter, which is estimated to reduce life expectancy for the capital’s residents by up to seven years.