New Delhi to consider curbing private vehicles to fight dangerous smog

Vehicles are seen shrouded in smog on a highway in New Delhi, India, November 18, 2021. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis

NEW DELHI (Reuters) -New Delhi will consider restricting private vehicles to driving on alternate days from next week if severe air pollution continues to plague India's capital, its environment minister told Reuters on Thursday.

As choking smog enveloped the city of 20 million people this month, its government initiated a clutch of measures such as shutting down schools, banning construction and garbage burning, allowing people to work from home, and launching various dust-control steps such as using fire trucks to spray water.