Whatever the causes of the smog, by one ranking Delhi was not just the most polluted city in the world, but “nearly five times as bad as the second most polluted city, Dhaka,” in Bangladesh next door, as Shashi Tharoor, a leader of the opposition in Parliament and best-selling author, posted on X.

Hundreds of millions of Indians breathe some of the world’s most toxic air all year round. Air pollution in the capital area that’s home to about 30 million people is especially stubborn. In winter, the cold weather actually makes the smog even worse — and potent.

India's capital city of Delhi has virtually shut down as air pollution hit "severe plus" levels, according to Indian government officials in its pollution control authority.

Unhealthy

A suffocating haze of toxic smog in New Delhi will prevent Charlotte de Witte from performing as the city cracks down to halt further environmental damage. The techno superstar's Sunburn Arena performance, which was scheduled for this weekend, has officially been cancelled as the city grapples with the toxic air conditions.

Experts said even though winds were predominantly calm on Saturday, they picked up late in the evening, with similarly strong winds recorded on Sunday.

Delhi's air quality index receded to the poor range on Sunday, aided by consistent winds and less moisture, after a Saturday with a sever AQI score.The air quality index (AQI) was 348 at 11am, fell to 323 by 3pm and was 308 by 6pm.