India's capital was left gasping this week as air pollution smog reduced visibility to near zero and raised air quality levels more than 130 times safe limits.

State authorities tout an experimental plan that involves stimulating clouds for rain, but scientists are sceptical.

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.

Residents in India's northern states woke up to another day of poor air quality on Tuesday, as a layer of dense fog shrouded most of the region, and pollution in the capital Delhi remained severe.

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.

India's capital was left gasping this week as air pollution smog reduced visibility to near zero and raised air quality levels more than 130 times safe limits.

Delhi is battling one of its worst pollution crises, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) crossing hazardous levels in several areas, reaching as high as 634 in Ashok Vihar. The government has implemented a 50% work-from-home policy and GRAP Stage IV restrictions,

As air quality index levels reach alarming figures, concerns continue to grow about the impact of pollution on public health and safety.