Toxic haze chokes Indian capital

NEW DELHI

India's capital New Delhi was shrouded in a thick, toxic haze on Monday as air pollution levels soared to more than 16 times the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommended daily maximum.

New Delhi and its sprawling metropolitan region, home to more than 30 million people, are regularly ranked among the world's most polluted capitals, with acrid smog blanketing the skyline each winter.

Cooler air traps pollutants close to the ground, creating a deadly mix of emissions from crop burning, factories and heavy traffic.

But pollution has also spiked due to days of fireworks set off to mark Diwali, the major Hindu festival of lights, which culminated last night.

The Supreme Court relaxed this month a blanket ban on fireworks over Diwali to allow the use of the less-polluting "green firecrackers," designed to emit fewer particulates.

The ban was widely ignored in past years.

Yesterday, levels of PM2.5, cancer-causing microparticles small enough to enter the bloodstream, hit 248 micrograms per cubic meter in parts of the city, according to monitoring organization IQAir.

The government's Commission of Air Quality Management said air quality is expected to further deteriorate in the coming days.

It also implemented a set of measures to curb pollution levels, including asking authorities to ensure uninterrupted power supply to reduce the use of diesel generators.