After approval on the 11th or on the 12th of december, hopefully the 1st people who would be immunized across the United States across all states. In all the areas where this, the state department of health will have told us where to deliver the vaccine. And g 20 leaders are promising to spare no effort in making sure coronas fire risk. Vaccines are distributed fairly around the world. But wrapping up their Virtual Summit hosted by saudi arabia, they gave few specifics on exactly how this will be guaranteed. Discussions also focused on helping poor nations recover from the economic damage inflicted by the pandemic. Ethiopian Prime Minister has given to grain fighters 72 hours to surrender before the military begins an offensive on the regional capital mckelway, calories controlled by the great Peoples Liberation front. Reuters news agency reports. The group is destroyed. Roads to stop an advance. Millions of voters in begin a fast so are casting their ballots in an election, taking place under the shadow of violence and allegations of fraud. President rockmart is seeking a 2nd 5 year term in office opposition. Parties in pakistan have been holding a major rally calling on the Prime Minister to resign. They accuse the military of rigging the election that imran khan won 2 years ago, syrias friends and on the shuttle as named a new foreign minister. That is replacing willie there. Who died earlier this week after holding the post for more than a decade has served as Deputy Foreign minister since 2006. And its inside story now a blanket of toxic smoke. Indias capital is suffocating with Dangerous Levels of pollution. And people in new delhi are being warned. It could make them all vulnerable to tovey 90. So what can be done to avoid a disaster . This is inside story. Hello, welcome to the program and burn its me. The air quality in indias capital is amongst the worlds worst in winter pollution in new delhi source, making it extremely difficult to breathe. The air becomes stale and a thick cloud of smoke settles over the city. Its full of pollutants from vehicles, Construction Industry and crop burning. To name a few, these lead to eye and nose infections and lung diseases. And on top of that, theres the corona virus which makes risperidone illnesses, potentially deadly. The quality of air in new delhi deteriorated dramatically nearly 2 weeks ago. It reached 490 on a scale of 500. A score between 0 and 50 is what the World Health Organization considers safe to breathe. But on november 10th, particle pollutants briefly surged to 30 times the safe limit. The number of people complaining of a spirit or disease in new delhi was reported to have risen. Doctors say 13 percent of the citys recent covered 900 cases may be linked to air pollution. Many new delhis residents have complained of breathing difficulties on days when pollution levels saw going to face trouble breathing as well as mild headaches. More than usual, as the winter is settling in along with the rise and pollution, our heads hurt even more. It is absolutely impossible to go out and about without masks because of the pollution they would be really going to have diabetes and hypertension. The double blow of covered 19 and pollution has affected me a lot. I wasnt stepping outside my home because of the bad air and the lack of physical activity made my diabetes get worse. Pollution is posing a lot of problems. I run daily after running on the road. I feel the impact on my life. It feels heavy. I bought this protection mask for that, but the pollution is so bad that this mask in provide adequate protection from polluted air. The level of oxygen becomes low. If we dont wear a mask, we face problems. There is pollution that got slightly better after the rain. It is still there, mike. New delhi is battling both toxic and the records surge in corona virus infections. Its seen more new cases than any other indian state. More than 7000 people a day, a developing covert, 19, the number of beds available with ventilators is shrinking. The government has flown doctors in from other regions and expanded testing, but there are still Major Concerns over the ability of new Delhis Health care system to handle the crisis. Lets bring in the guests there all in new delhi. We have deeper, senhor, an assistant professor of economics at on Better University in delhi, dr. Sirica verner, an ear, nose, and throat surgeon, and karthik is a Research Fellow at the council on energy and environment and water. Welcome to each of you karthik. Ill start with you if i may, this pollution appears every autumn. Its not new. Why is it still happening . And why is it getting worse . I think its happening everywhere, primarily because you know, this is when the winter sets in. So its as much of me to phenomenon as it is a manmade phenomenon and says basically that this pollution exists around. It just manifests itself in such a worse manner in the windows. So the pollution, the dependence on private vehicles, they the management of solid waste in the city state of delhi. Incessant burning of waste that happens because its not collected in this post off in an appropriate manner and construction, dust and debris. All of these big sources of pollution which dont get addressed, youre around and it just comes up, you know, in a much bigger way. And i think it will be episodic incidences of proper ning, and the valley fire crackers, all of these add to it. So i think theyre, theyre a distraction for the policymaker, honestly, because they focus their attention inordinately on attending to those, you know, for the few weeks in the days for which those exist. But then the moment that dies down, everybody feels a bit gone back down to levels which are acceptable. And then for the rest of the year, nothing happens, no news channels cover it either unfortunately. And in november next year or in october next election, ill be an option. And so i think its basically because the attention is there only for the very start beating on the issue, but not addressing it in a holistic manner throughout the deeper is that what happens, people kick up a fuss for the few weeks that the pollutions that and then they forget about it and forget to address the root concerns. Absolutely, i completely agree. If you look at the causes for the pollution, much of those apps ischemic, we cango anything about them, we get logical issues. But we all know what that come autumn. This is how its going to be and then us so many things and dont look for the Behavioral Changes as well. Those institutional structures this need to be done in the much more consolidated memo and a sustainable model of continuously. Well, i guess the pollution and of the dont see that happening. But what we see is that those who cannot afford it, if they grow up to get out beautifier out as the season changes, while others upload. But overall, its something thats become quite predictable, but the, unfortunately, one thinks of the city and the government said, dont believe the public seem to be thinking about it only when does either come sorry. Can i mention this must be one of the busiest times of the year for you . Can you just explain what the worst the most severe consequences of this pollution are on patients that you deal with . Well, lucian, it is a problem throughout a lot in cities like delhi and the golf. Well, as it becomes much wasnt been dull, but were seeing the safety yet only up from september to february. So it does they distressing. Do not do that well at a time, then you know, yell to have base in the back to make the boat one thing which is all done in the body. And then the added pollution makes it much worse. You have respected the stress in the ladder to patients, but the last month and i have been describing medications at the end of leak because were not fully aware that in november that it is really become much worse. The pollution levels will go beyond control. And oh yeah, well its our children and patients in the specific space of stocktaking, then it was only ok calling me and pollution act and find them because they had in the habit of the necessity. Disease. Ok, thank you. A cough inc. Many indian set cities top the global list of the most polluted new delhis, the at the top of the list. Why is new delhi particularly more susceptible to this level of pollution than other parts of the country, even though there is pollution elsewhere . What . Whats special about new delhi . I think its the geography of course is a very big part of it. Its just, you know, it sits adjacent to like a hurley big dust bowl. Which means that theres always a constant influx of dust coming in from the desert, and from perhaps even from central asia that adds to the ambient level gingerly way. But in addition, this is the metropolis thats been growing, you know, in an uncontrolled manner for the last 3 or 4 decades now. And as a result of back, its, i guess and doesnt have any abating influences of a coast which lets say a moon biota chennai article got to have as a result the pollution basically stays and we dont get this effect of meteorology which, you know, with the temperature inversion, and all of that in other, in other parts of the country where the population density is so much an added to that the dependence on private vehicles for instance. And that is phenomenal. There is of course, a lot of public transport available. The metro is great, the bus system is reasonably good, but the number of people using cars to get it on is just, i mean its, its outstanding. So all of that, of course, thats to it. And i think the bigger problem really is that the city administration, the state administration and the Central Administration are 3 different bodies that basically control it. And does this no coordination among them to actually make things better . Right. So some roads that under some administration, some, some roads and others. So because of the lack of coordination, its like, you know, if you handle it, you handle it. And as it is not, you know, nobody funding it. And thats one of the reasons why we have, i think, a plethora of issues that the city faces. Deeper conflict mentions the bureaucratic problems. India has got a central pollution control board and there are state pollution control boards. How effective are they trying to manage pollution in the states . Lets cut into the pollution control. Birds dont really have that much beef and they, they are not believed to do this kind of cordon nation among states on policy issues. To give an example. One of the external factors in the season is the stubble bonding, which happens in the neighboring state of punjab. So the ag, because of the policy said has to change and the Punjab Government has to be tilted farmers to use alternative technology. That is something that the pollution control board but into is not empowered to add to it. It is a token to simply be had an ordinance putting, setting up a new commission that is supposed to look into all of this. But once again, this happened only last month after the pollution began. So we do need a better Institution School or at least these issues that n. T. V. Dont have to make this thing along with Building Infrastructure in terms of public transport and so on and Public Awareness as well. I think leave the institutions that the have an order to handle sirica. Of course, on top of all of this, we now have the coronavirus. How is the pollution making life harder for people who are suffering from coronavirus . Is it making things worse . See, call it 19 or fix that is pretty systematically and reduces the oxygen saturation even in the best of times. Then you have the pollution increasing to such levels. This fitrakis just increases and so even patients who are becoming getting back into one pot and they never home isolation, im not needing to the oxygen. And that is why our big hospitals us struggling to keep. 2 beds available for every patient. Almost every patient had this issue, handle of any oxygen starts dropping if you dont need high oxygen bags. And that is already stretching the existing, very thin interest at the breaking point. And ill, even today, i was struggling to get a couple of people and with their trips a very difficult i am. Now a, do you see any light at the end of the tunnel dr. Is this going to get worse . Do you think even, well, i mean, you know that and i learned the struggling fortunately, india has a lot of mortality. Its 1. 5 percent compared to u. S. And europe. Probably the reasons are probably because the well be should have been exposed to different kinds of fire this is earlier on, and that is hopefully our saving lives because whats patient were going to 8595 percent, they say let it go to get home. Having said that, pollution needs to be back and so that the employer gets back to us via infant deaths evolution, cause about 1. 00 lakh. Thats well, and im still for a disease then you know only, well were 90 happened then b. And i would stop and you know, we have had about one point, you know, black and thats in india for a disease that is causing deaths every year. Yet only i dont recall because hes not taking it basically just yet. I would like it would lead to that in an emergency. Ok. Deeper referred earlier on to stubble burning as one of the reasons for have in neighboring states punjab and haryana again. That has been known about for a long time, the burning stubble from the rice paddy straw from the rice paddies. Why hasnt the government able to tackle a lot so so were looking at the farmers in punjab on this matter. And i think the primary challenges that you know, this generation, a pharmacist country that is so used to this cycle of, you know, rice and wheat that for them to think of shifting away to something as rent. Dick was systemic changes shape right from the procurement options. For alternative crop that they might so do training regarding, you know, how do you go bar, you know, cropping other other crops, the watering back down the resources acquired. All of that needs to start from scratch because the government actually spent a lot of time and money getting them to grow rice in the 1st place. You see they were actually left and youre talking about, you know, through the eightys and. d now, given that the not so much effort and money is gone into actually getting them on board to cultivate place, i think equal amount of effort needs to go in to sort of make a new learning all of that and telling them that, well, this is not sustainable from many ask the most important of which is the water availability in the state of the job, which is precipitously declining with every passing year. And in the interest of long term agricultural prospects for the state, i think the farmers will have to adapt to growing something else. But that is not going to happen with strict art collector. I will find you if youre born. It has to happen with one holding with, you know, these agricultural extensions as theyre called school. So to say for farmers to go and learn and for them to get resources and to stop them and to get the resources to paint them. And if that doesnt happen, and if the government doesnt, you know, look out of their own market mechanism to provide other crops they otherwise would cultivate. This is probably going to go on for a while until, you know, it just becomes unsustainable. In many other ways to just go dyson plans, which would be a subsidy with that cost. It can be quickly though, help us understand why this, why this process of burning off has enjoyed the governments trying to get farmers to find other methods to clear the field. And i know theres a tight reef seeding pretty area between the harvest. Just help us understand why thats a problem the solutions have been developed a homegrown, thats the beauty of it, which is, you know, theres this, you know, these happy cedar and, and these are the technologies that help, you know, incorporate the, as i suggested you in the soil, but the thing is that all of these are implements. One on top of the other. One job is already one of the most heavy, mechanized agricultural states and perhaps regions in the world that the per capita ownership of things like operate of, of harvesters and of tractors, probably rivals jadavpur and america. Which means that, you know, i think more and more employment makes it very expensive prospect for farmers to actually continue doing it. And theyre already under serious levels of debt. So that after we leave, you know, models that are sustainable in terms of whether its leasing, whether its Community Purchase and use it. And then of course the education part of it, as i said its, its happened in 4 years. But every year unfortunately, weve kind of gone with the stick in september of each year saying, you know, do this or you get fined, do this a get find the political will to sort of brilliant, implement the fine is not then its unfairly right to actually ask them to pay a fine because nothings been done throughout the year. So i think unless we can actually put money where the mouth is and do something about it. And i think in the long run, the better solution is to not even the long run, but money in the medium term to get them away is probably the solution. But, and i think its happening increasingly when the conditions weve seen. Because a lot of people are saying that the cost of agriculture is already going up significantly in punjab and maybe list come to it that you know farmers, the shift and mass as opposed to, you know, trying to sort of solve the rice. How do issues deeper, the government does have a National Plan and launching 2019 to, to cut pollution by 20 to 30 percent by 2014. How realistic does that target look now . So like all of the issues that kind of think this talked about and what people have been discussing the dont see in the Actual Movement on the ground or manual says. So if the pink that if things continue to read, they are not then the targets. I think that the important point is for understand that this solution is not the one thing event. That this is something that needs a change in many, many things. Like the act because the policy so it cannot be that in these months we find the promise and then the rest of the other things go on as usual. Thank Building Public and the public transport separation of the duction of all of this. And we dont see any of that to be happening and all this cannot be put on the arm individuals and on the public. So aggrandizement kind of, after all of this need structure, the support, they need a lot of investment. I mean from the government also, you must remember there is a sense even as a huge number of people who are below the poverty line and the high levels of inequality. And therefore, unless they did support in terms of well infrastructure then baby and other system you think once was and in fact one thing if its business as usual, then im not ready will. So reka what is the effect on recovering patients of pollution . I mean and telling people to get out of new delhi if they recover, what happens to people . Oh, to go there. You know, its always you always enough, but you did it. Well, you did it. That uses the, the government well in last 50 percent. And of your goal to be seen that patients led government from all over the well, many fibrosis and they have a distinctive difficulty. And for even 6 to 8 weeks after they get a good eye, b. P. Said negative. So when you happy you did it, it just makes it much worse. And oh, with all the festivities that have happened, people ive been out in the boat without my the out of causing the pollution is just an added burden on the existing problems. And i list the government, the serious about acting. You shouldnt not just with land, but with actual actions. Youre going to be very, very difficult times ahead. Karthik china. The government there is aggressively promoting now green vehicles of course, and in china, theres a much more top down control over the development of the states economy. But china seems to see the future for greener industries. Why hasnt india yet . So i think hes got a fantastic policy, barbara for electric vehicles, and thats the sort of to put the iceberg in any case. But you know, all of those are going to come in maybe, you know, in about 5 to 10 years for 5 to 10 years. All of those teams are incrementally going in back, you know, each year maybe, you know, 5 percent or whatever it might be. So i dont think its just dollars. They dont, industries to come in and replace is likely to solution at all. But thats it. India still needs to do it, and i think theres a whole suite of policies that if you have been looking at the the announcements from the finance ministry rate, the performance linked incentives for, you know, industrial manufacturing. But to clearly annoyed those that represent green nostri is there. Of course, indias been slow to get on the bus primarily because, you know, we dont have the fundamental in us and manufacturing backbone that china has had for now, you know, at least 3 or 4 decades. And unless you sort of build that up, you know, and our degrees, our wonderlands and china even for simple compensate is basically an electronics industry. We will of course find it a challenge. But i think the government is serious about it, primarily because it understands that jobs in india rely on these industries actually coming in. And thats really the future. And automotive, for specific reasons you talked about cars, is one of indias biggest exporters. And as well as in a big contributor to overall g. D. P. In the country as well. So they are definitely, you know, a serious about it. But you know, that is not going to solve the problem for another 10 years, at least because the stock of because of the having the continuous sales of, you know, petrol and diesel vehicles that are already, you know, are there will probably, you know, continue well into this decade its so i dont think we should land that to solve the problem. But its something that i think really is being addressed deeply. You seem to have suggested in some area earlier answers that has been a failure by the government to grasp the seriousness of pollution. Do you think the government grasps the importance of a green future of Green Technologies . I think in the rhetoric its all there. And there is definitely much more of knowledge meant all in my mental issues. Now then there was he will say about 4 or 5 years back and the goals, the many of these coming in. But at the same time, i would replay the point that one of the issues is that each of this is a look at him and different silos and be able to see the link. So the, and the culture policy, the nutrition policy, the employment policy, all of those has to become green along with being poor and like the u. S. To say, and yet there are, but it also needs to be looked at from in my mentor lance mouse. I think it needs a much bigger change in the public space in the really think about what economic progress means and what is the kind of future that we see for ourselves. And given that the in technology is one rule, its one company. So all of this is coming in the in piecemeal might not, which is because it dont think of them not having anything. But at the same time, i think the Bigger Picture is something that and the 2nd, i just ask you in terms of, are not, are an economist, but clearly the amounts of people you are dealing with. These are people who could be working and who should be working. Do you end up take telling people to take a lot of time off work because of the risperidone diseases. Theyre suffering from the cost of staying at home and looking after a sick bed and is 100 millions of dollars. Unfortunately, an endeavor dont have but the economy cost of health. Poor health is huge. If the government can be able mindset as to understand the logic of Healthy Nation is going to create a lot hidden economy. The way china has had back the air. Pollution is something that in debt can definitely learn from. One thing used to shut down because of bad it. And i think hes already there right now, like what i think of the 5 say we have the plans in place. We have the words in place of you dont have the action to go with those plans. B. Have to start stopping. Come a lot like germany and already stocks last well fired up i did 2020 and guess even our stock in new polygons based on colin and so we have to watch the ball. We have to create open forest. We have to do a lot more than they actually are doing expect a whole year population. And i would also like to add that the Health Budget needs to go up really high before because the that it helped get us more steeper, out, related by the private sector. And the government needs to invest in that has meant its a difficult things, but this is also there. Well, actually it seems to happen at the policy level in the end, i will as well step back to review it situation. Its a great time playing out to start making massive changes in their policy that every action should be a Sustainable Development so that we can have a healthy up of elation and we dont remain of the same policeman next year. Ok, thank you very much for that. We are unfortunately out of time folks, but funks to all of our guests to think going to and thank you for watching. You can see the program again any time by visiting our website, aljazeera dot com for more debate. You can go to all facebook page, facebook dot com for slash a. J. Inside story. You can also join the conversation on twitter. We are at age 8, inside story on syria for me, but its right on the whole team here. By the kina faso is heading toward elections, but spiraling insecurity is overshadowing the votes of hundreds of thousands. Conrad just out and much of the country is off limits. Thanks to roaming armed groups. So what real change can these elections bring . Join us as we assess the outlook for one of africas most troubled states. Aljazeera, where after a few 0 this is the news coming up in the next 60 minutes. The man in charge of the u. S. Coronavirus vaccination, could start as early as next month. As the g 20 summit wraps up with leaders committing to making sure everyone