[앵커]
Every winter, India, which suffers from the worst air pollution, faces the new year with an unusual cold.
With the prospect of India soon overtaking China to become the world’s most populous country, concerns are growing among Indian and Korean citizens that the problem could become more serious.
Correspondent Kim Seong-mi from India reports.
[기자]
Auto rickshaws, India’s representative mode of transport, run while emitting smoke.
On the roads where people, cars and motorbikes are mixed, the loud horn sounds don’t stop.
Exhaust gas emitted from motor rickshaws and vintage vehicles without a smoke reduction device is considered to be the main culprit of the ‘smog phenomenon’.
The city’s air quality indicator lights up red every day to indicate ‘worst’ air quality.
[고팔 따망 / 인도 뉴델리 : (대기 오염으로) 숨 쉴 때마다 목이 따가워서 불편함을 느낍니다. 코로나19도 진행 중이고 인도에 사는 게 쉽지는 않습니다. 특히 뉴델리는 더 그렇습니다.]
Recently, the traffic jam has become more serious as it is covered with fine dust and thick fog.
[최두호 / 인도 구르가온 : 안개가 심할 때는 가시거리가 1m도 되지 않습니다. 그래서 보통 30분 걸리는 거리가 2시간이 넘기도 합니다.]
India, which is considered one of the worst air quality countries in the world, has worsening air pollution every winter.
This is because the burning of harvest residues in the northern regions before the planting season creates a huge layer of soot in the air, and the burning of heating and cooking waste materials spreads toxic substances and deteriorates air quality.
[야쉬 씽 / 인도 뉴델리 : 많은 사람이 플라스틱과 같은 쓰레기를 태우면서 대기오염이 심각해집니다. 이런 문제로 많은 사람이 아프고 병원에는 환자들로 넘쳐나서 침상도 잡기가 어렵습니다.]
In addition to the worst air pollution, we are having a harder winter than ever with the onset of extreme cold.
In India, where heating facilities are weak, even a small drop in temperature has a big impact on daily life.
Our compatriots set up a thermal tent in their homes and hastily bought hot water mats and electric pads.
Citizens who want to buy thick coats and home heaters visit the shopping centre.
[정 겨 운 / 인도 구르가온 : 지난주에는 구르가온의 최저 기온이 5도까지 떨어졌는데, 난방시설이 갖춰져 있지 않은 인도에서는 정말 추운 날씨입니다.]
Indian meteorological experts analyze that the unusually cold weather quickly came to India, where the average temperature was about 10 degrees in winter, as an abnormal weather phenomenon caused by air pollution.
[므루티운자이 모하파트라 / 인도 기상청장 : 공업 단지에서 배출되는 유해 물질이 (안개가 생성되는) 원인이 될 수 있습니다. 이런 현상은 기후 변화와 환경적인 요인이 조합돼 생성된다고 할 수 있습니다.]
With projections that India will overtake China to become the most populous country in the world by April, there are growing concerns that the air pollution problem could become more extreme.
The Indian government is struggling to improve air quality by banning new registrations of auto rickshaw transporters in the metropolitan area from the new year and halting construction and demolition activities in the vicinity of New Delhi.
This is Sungmi Kim from YTN World, New Delhi, India.
YTN Seongmi Kim (parksy@ytn.co.kr)
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