[국제]India, extreme ‘smoke and cold’… Compatriots have a harsh winter

[앵커]

India, suffering from the worst air pollution, enters the new year with an unusually cold weather every winter.

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.

This was reported by reporter Kim Seong-mi from India.

[기자]

Auto rickshaws, the representative mode of transportation of India, run emitting smoke.

On the streets where people, cars and motorcycles mix, the loud sounds of the horn don’t stop.

The exhaust gases emitted by auto rickshaws and old vehicles without smoke reduction devices are considered the main culprits of the “smog phenomenon”.

The city’s air quality indicator glows red each 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, traffic congestion has become more severe as it is blanketed in 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, gets worse air pollution every winter.

This is because the burning of crop residues in the northern regions before the planting season creates a huge layer of soot in the air, and the burning of waste materials from heating and cooking spreads toxic substances and deteriorates the 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 worse air pollution, we are having a tougher winter than ever with uncharacteristically cold weather.

In India, where heating systems are weak, even a slight drop in temperature has a big impact on daily life.

Our compatriots set up an insulated tent in their homes and hurriedly bought hot water mats and electric absorbents.

The shopping center is frequented by citizens who want to buy coats and heaters for the home.

[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 arrived quickly in India, where the average temperature was around 10 degrees in winter, as an anomalous 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.]

As India is expected to overtake China to become the world’s most populous country by April, there are growing concerns that the air pollution problem could become more severe.

The Indian government is fighting to improve air quality by banning new registrations of transit auto rickshaws in the metropolitan area from the new year and suspending construction and demolition activities in the vicinity of New Delhi.

This is Sungmi Kim from YTN World, New Delhi, India.

YTN Seongmi Kim ([email protected])

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