This archive report was first published on 3 November 2019.
Delhi, a megacity of 20 million people, is once again blanketed by a toxic smog of car fumes, industrial emissions, and smoke from stubble burning in neighboring states.
On Sunday, the city's air quality reached record-breaking levels, with concentrations of fine particles measuring less than 2.5 microns hitting the highest level of the season, according to India's state-run System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR).
"Pollution has reached unbearable levels," Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted on Sunday, as locals complained of sore eyes and throats and some residents wore masks to protect themselves.
Major carriers Air India and Vistara delayed or diverted flights due to poor visibility, while cricket players and coaches trained in masks ahead of the Twenty20 international between Bangladesh and India.
The shocking conditions sparked a blame game between state and federal politicians, with Kejriwal calling on neighboring states to take action and Federal Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar accusing Kejriwal of politicizing the issue.
As the city struggles to breathe, schools have been ordered closed until Tuesday, and construction halted. From Monday, an odd/even car license plate scheme will be implemented to cut traffic.
Delhi's air pollution crisis is a recurring issue, with a UN report last year finding 14 of the world's 15 most polluted cities were in India, and a US study estimating that it kills a million people prematurely every year.
