Schools were closed and non-essential construction was banned as the air quality index in the city reached almost 500Air pollution reached the near-maximum level possible in India's capital New Delhi today as the city was blanketed by a thick layer of toxic haze, marking the start of the annual smog season.
Many of the capital's 33 million residents complained of irritation to the eyes and itchy throats as the air turned a dense grey.Traffic moves on a road enveloped by fog and smog in New Delhi, India, on November 3, 2023 Methods undertaken by the AAP government to try to alleviate the problem have included sprinkling of water on roads to lower the amount of dust and constructing of two 'smog towers', which were built to clean the air but have been deemed largely ineffective by scientists.Smoke from farmers burning crop stubble, vehicle exhaust and factory emissions combine every winter to blanket Delhi in a choking haze.
The holy day coincides with the weeks when tens of thousands of farmers across north India set fire to their fields to clear crop stubble from recently harvested rice paddies. People walk along the Kartavya Path near India Gate amid heavy smog conditions in New Delhi on November 3, 2023