Delhi has earned the dubious distinction of becoming the most polluted major city in the world with an air quality index (AQI) of 527 on November 15, as per data by Air Visual on the World AQI rankings. Delhi air quality broke all records on November 5, when it was in the hazardous range for nine consecutive days, making this the longest spell of hazardous air quality since public records began, according to Air Visual.Six of the top 10 cities fall in the Indian sub-continent, Delhi, Lahore, Karachi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Kathmandu. So within Asia, air pollution is concentrated in South Asia. (Image: PTI)
At 7 am on Friday (November 15) morning, the air quality in several areas of the Delhi and NCR, including Pusa Road (777), Dwarka Sector 8 (930), Pragati Vihar (733), Anand Vihar (535), Noida Sector 125 (665), Noida Sector 62 (538), US Embassy in Chanakyapuri (660), Jahagirpuri (610), Narela (808), Bawana (865), Okhla (722), Satyawati College in Ashok Vihar (757), Sonia Vihar (565), Alipur (644), Sri Aurobindo Marg (733), Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business in Rohini (765) and Patparganj (571) crossed the ‘severe-plus’ category. (Image: PTI)
A thick blanket of smog continues to envelop the national capital and neighouring areas with five places crossing 500 on the air quality index (AQI) scale on Thursday (November 14) morning. Considering the health hazards, schools in Delhi have been shut till Friday (November 15). According to AQI at 5am, the pollutants in Okhla, Mundka and Dwarka were above 500, while it continued to remain severe in neighbouring Ghaziabad and Noida. Vehicles ply on a road amid thick smog, in New Delhi. (Image: PTI)
The sun is vaguely seen over Humayun’s Tomb amid heavy smog, in New Delhi. Noxious smog resulting from raging farm fires and unfavourable weather pushed pollution levels in the region towards the 'emergency' zone for the second time in the last 15 days. (Image: PTI)
A foreign tourist wears mask amid heavy smog as the air quality further dips to 'severe' category, in New Delhi. (Image: PTI)
Vehicles ply on Rajpath as Rashtrapathi Bhawan is shrouded in smog on the background, in New Delhi. (Image: PTI)
Tourists wear anti-pollution masks amid heavy smog as the air quality further dips to 'severe' category, in New Delhi. (Image: PTI)
Vehicles and pedestrians commute on Rajpath as it is shrouded in smog, in New Delhi. (Image: PTI)
Tourists wear anti-pollution masks amid heavy smog as the air quality further dips to 'severe' category, at Vijay Chowk in New Delhi. (Image: PTI)
Tourists wear anti-pollution masks amid heavy smog as the air quality further dips to 'severe' category, in New Delhi. (Image: PTI)
Pedestrian cover her face amid heavy smog as the air quality further dips to 'severe' category, at Vijay Chowk in New Delhi. (Image: PTI)
An auto-rickshaw moves past the India Gate on a smoggy morning in New Delhi on November 11, 2019. (Image: Reuters)
A man uses his handkerchief to cover his face as he walks on a road on a smoggy morning in New Delhi. (Image: Reuters)
People ride a boat across Yamuna river on a smoggy morning in the old quarters of Delhi. (Image: Reuters)
Security personnel wear masks as the air quality further dips to the hazardous 'severe plus' category, in New Delhi. (Image: PTI)
People wear masks amid heavy smog as the air quality further dips to the hazardous 'severe plus' category, in New Delhi. (Image: PTI)
People wear masks as the air quality further dips to the hazardous 'severe plus' category, due to heavy smog, in New Delhi. (Image: PTI)
A view of traffic jam due to Chhath Puja at Jamuna Bazaar ring road, in New Delhi. (Image: PTI)
A traffic policeman wearing an anti-pollution mask diverts the traffic, in New Delhi. (Image: PTI)
Students, wearing masks to get protection from air-pollution, go to their school by a rickshaw, in New Delhi. (Image: PTI)
People, wearing masks to get protection from air-pollution, walk along a road in New Delhi. (Image: PTI)
Bangladeshi cricketer Soumya Sarkar, wearing a mask, throws the ball during a practice session at Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. (Image: PTI)
A man wears an anti-pollution mask to protect himself from the growing level of air pollution, in New Delhi. (Image: PTI)
Women are seen wearing masks to get protection from air-pollution, in New Delhi. (Image: PTI)
A water tanker sprays water into the atmosphere to curb rising pollution at Patel Chowk in New Delhi. (Image: PTI)
Bangladeshi cricketers, wearing masks to protect themselves from air-pollution, during a practice session at Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. (Image: PTI)
A water tanker sprays water into the atmosphere to curb rising pollution at Gautam Puri in New Delhi. Delhi’s air quality took a hit after on Diwali night due to a combination of firecracker emissions, stubble burning, and unfavourable meteorological conditions. (Image: PTI)
A boy is seen wearing a mask to get protection from air-pollution, in New Delhi. (Image: PTI)
Paddy stubble burns in a farm on the outskirts of Amritsar. Stubble burning in the states of Punjab and Haryana is considered as one of the major factors contributing to air pollution in north India including Delhi. (Image: PTI)
A student is seen wearing an anti-pollution mask during Jamia Millia Islamia's (JMI) Annual Convocation 2019, in New Delhi. (Image: PTI)
NASA image released on (03:18 PM), October 30, 2019, shows red dots indicating fires, including those due to stubble burning, in areas surrounding Delhi and the rest of North India. (Image: NASA Worldview/PTI)
NASA image released on October 30, 2019, shows red dots indicating fires, including those due to stubble burning, in areas surrounding Delhi and the rest of North India. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, the air quality index in New Des was 415 at 11 am. (Image: NASA Worldview/PTI)
NASA image released on October 29, 2019, shows smoke and clouds over Delhi and the rest of North India. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, the air quality index in New Des was 415 at 11 am. (Image: NASA Worldview/PTI)