The CPCB, India's official environmental watchdog, caps AQI readings at a maximum of 500, which signifies "severe" pollution levels. In contrast, international platforms often report AQI values exceeding 1,

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.

These are not lottery figures but the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded in and around Delhi on Wednesday. The AQI has remained in severe or severe+ category in Delhi-NCR for

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.

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

As toxic air blanketed Delhi on Monday morning, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in several areas of the city crossed the 1500 mark. This alarming spike in pollution levels has made Delhi the most polluted city in the world,