Air quality in India’s haze-hit north, including the capital, New Delhi, deteriorated sharply on Nov. 5, because of unfavorable weather and an increase in smoke from stubble burning in fields across the region.
New Delhi’s Connaught Place, one of the most expensive office spaces in the world, was enveloped by a blanket of smog on Monday.
Levels of PM 2.5, tiny particulate matter that can reach deep into the lungs and cause major health problems, were above 400 in most parts of the capital, and in some places soared above 600.
That is nearly 24 times a recommended level of 25 micrograms per cubic meter on average over a 24-hour period, set by the World Health Organization, which this year said India was home to the world’s 14 most polluted cities.
New Delhi was ranked the sixth most polluted.
After a little improvement on Sunday, when wind picked up, air quality worsened early on Monday, with forecasts of worse to come over the next few days.
Authorities warn that crop residue burning will peak in the next few days.
Adding to the fears, Indians will celebrate the festival of Diwali on Wednesday, when many members of the majority Hindu community will set off celebratory firecrackers.
