UNICEF: Delhi pollution a wakeup call November 12, 2016 United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has said the record air pollution in Delhi is a wake up call for the world and if decisive actions are not taken to check it, the smog in National Capital and its adverse impact on the daily lives of its citizens will become a commonplace phenomenon. The UNICEF said it is a wake up call to all countries and cities where air pollution levels have resulted in death and illness amongst children. Air pollution level hit record high in New Delhi in the past week following Diwali celebration. The capital’s smog, said to be its worst in 17 years, lead to the closure of the city’s over 5,000 schools to minimise the risk for children to be exposed to the polluted air and resulted in an estimated 4.41 million children missing three days of school, the UNICEF said. According to estimates, air pollution levels hit 999 micrograms of particulate matter per cubic meter in some areas of ...