India's capital engulfs in hazardous smog

Smog in New Delhi hit “hazardous” levels on November 3 as smoke from thousands of crop fires in northern India combined with other pollutants to create a noxious grey cocktail enveloping the megacity.

Levels of the most dangerous particles – PM2.5, so tiny they can enter the bloodstream – were 588 per cubic meter early on the same day morning, according to monitoring firm IQAir, reports Al Arabiya.

That is almost 40 times the daily maximum recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). IQAir rated overall pollution levels as “hazardous.”

“This is really the worst time to be out in Delhi. One never wakes up fresh with this pollution,” policeman Hem Raj, 42, told AFP.

“The body feels tired and lethargic in the mornings... The eyes are always watery and throat scratchy after spending hours on the Delhi roads,” he said.

Every winter, cooler air, smoke from farmers burning stubble, and emissions from vehicles and other sources combine to create a deadly smog reducing visibility in the city of 20 million people.

In 2020 a Lancet study attributed 1.67 million deaths to air pollution in India in 2019, including almost 17,500 in the capital.

Delhi authorities regularly announce different plans to reduce pollution, for example by halting construction work, but to little effect.