Toxic smog blankets New Delhi as air quality worsens ahead of winter

Toxic smog has enveloped New Delhi, pushing air quality into the "severe" range as winter approaches. This annual issue is worsened by vehicle emissions, construction dust, and smoke from farm fires in nearby Punjab and Haryana. The air quality index in New Delhi reached a score of 384, categorized as "very poor." Over a third of monitoring stations reported "severe" levels above 400, which can impact healthy individuals and is more dangerous for those with existing health issues. Farm fires have contributed significantly to the pollution, increasing from 15% to over 23% in just three days. New Delhi is now ranked as the second most polluted city globally, following Lahore, Pakistan, which is also facing severe pollution challenges.