India's capital chokes as pollution hits 50 times safe limit

Seasonal filthy air shuts schools and fuels outrage as farmers burn waste

20241118 India air pollution

A deadly haze has enveloped the Indian capital causing airlines to warn of flight delays. © AP

NEW DELHI (AP) -- Authorities in India's capital shut schools, halted construction and banned non-essential trucks from entering the city on Monday after air pollution shot up to its worst level this season.

Residents of New Delhi woke up to thick, toxic smog enveloping the city of some 33 million as the air quality became increasingly hazardous. It rose further into the severe category, according to SAFAR, the country's main environmental agency, which measures tiny particulate matter in the air that can enter deep into the lungs.

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