The capital's chief minister, Atishi Marlena Singh, announced in a post on X that classes will transition to online formats indefinitely. This decision comes as the city struggles with dense smog that has blanketed the area.

Delhi, along with nearby regions, is currently experiencing pollution levels that pose serious health risks. On Thursday, the concentration of fine particulate matter in the air surpassed the safety threshold set by the World Health Organization (WHO) by over 50 times. This fine particulate matter, known as PM 2.5, can deeply penetrate the lungs and adversely affect various organs, leading to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and impeding young children's development.

The city experienced an alarming average of 254 PM 2.5 particles per cubic metre of air on Thursday, according to IQAir, a Swiss-based Air Quality Index monitoring group. This figure far exceeds the WHO's recommended safe limit of 15 particles per cubic metre over a 24-hour period. Larger particulate matter, PM 10, also reached dangerous levels, with an average of 495 particles, which is more than ten times the amount deemed safe by the WHO.

Delhi residents have reported symptoms such as eye irritation and breathing difficulties, highlighting the urgent need for action. A study published in The Lancet in July revealed that 7.2% of daily deaths in the city could be directly linked to fine particulate pollution.

Despite the expectation that air pollution levels may decline in the near future, authorities warn that they will still remain at unhealthy levels. Various measures have been enacted to combat the pollution, such as spraying roads with water mixed with dust suppressants. However, the extensive smog is so severe that it has been captured in satellite imagery by NASA, revealing its spread across northern India and into Pakistan.

This alarming situation is not confined to Delhi alone. Neighboring cities such as Gurugram, Noida, and even Chandigarh are also grappling with hazardous air conditions. The situation mirrors earlier events in Lahore, Pakistan, where worsening air quality similarly led to the temporary closure of primary schools earlier this month.

As residents continue to suffer from the thickening smog, the government aims to curb the health impact by moving education online and implementing immediate measures to improve air quality.