Indians Want to Shift National Capital From Smog-Choked Delhi as Toxic Air Engulfs NCR

On Monday, the Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 500, which is still in the "severe" category. The average on Sunday was 494, which is the highest since November 2016, when the AQI reached a staggering 497.

Over the weekend and on Monday, Delhi-NCR lay enveloped in a thick layer of smog, with almost no visibility; the smoggy haze, which is rightly being called apocalyptic, caused schools to remain shut till Tuesday. In fact, this even prompted several people to say they wanted to move out of the city.

With traffic and daily life completely disrupted in the city and its satellite towns, many Indians were wondering if Delhi indeed deserves to be called the national capital in the first place. What most of them pointed out was the fact that this is not the first time Delhiites have been suffering owing to the pollution. Winters in Delhi have become practically synonymous with smog!

While some suggested cities like Nagpur, Bengaluru or Chennai as alternatives, others cited reasons for shifting the capital.