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Harmful smog wreathes India's capital as winter season nears

A toxic smog shrouded the Indian capital on Tuesday, driving air quality in some areas into the serious range ahead of winter, when cold air traps pollutants and brings a spike in breathing health problems.

The mix of smoke, emissions, and dust is a yearly issue for authorities in New Delhi, with cars, building dust, and smoke from farm fires in the adjacent northern states of Punjab and Haryana among the major contributors.

The outlook for the subsequent 6 days: the air quality is likely to be in the 'extremely bad' to 'severe' classification, said the earth sciences ministry.

The city's general rating on an air quality index kept by India's leading pollution authorities was 'extremely bad' at 384, the ministry added, and was most likely to remain there up until Thursday.

An index series of 401 to 500 falls into the 'severe'. category, implying it impacts healthy individuals, however is more. severe for those currently fighting disease.

Ministry data showed farm fires have actually increasingly swelled. the contamination over the last 3 days, for a share of more than. 23% on Monday, from about 15% on Saturday.

About a 3rd of the city's 39 monitoring stations revealed a. ' serious' rating of more than 400 on Tuesday, stated the Central. Pollution Control Panel (CPCB), well except an air quality. score of absolutely no to 50 that it rates as 'great'.

Swiss group IQAir likewise rated Delhi the world's second most. contaminated city on Tuesday, after Lahore in neighbouring Pakistan,. where authorities likewise took emergency steps in the wake of. Sunday's unprecedented contamination levels.

The government in the eastern province of Punjab, home to. Lahore, has actually blamed degrading air quality on pollution. wafting in from India, a problem it has actually sworn to take up with its. neighbour through the foreign ministry.

(source: Reuters)