The Indian capital's air pollution surged beyond 60 times the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommended daily maximum, prompting officials to advise the 33 million residents to stay indoors and use air purifiers.

In response to the severe air quality, authorities activated GRAP 4, the highest level of pollution-related emergency measures. This action bans trucks, with the exception of those transporting essential goods, from entering the city and halts all construction and demolition work. Additionally, the government is considering implementing a system where vehicles with license plates ending in odd and even numbers are allowed on the roads on alternate days.

Last week, Delhi's environment minister announced the inclusion of over 100 new buses to the city's public transport fleet to tackle the worsening pollution. The Delhi metro also committed to running 60 extra trips to reduce the number of private cars on the streets.

Delhi's air-quality index (AQI) soared beyond 1,000 this Monday, making it more than five times more polluted than Sarajevo, the second most-polluted major city globally, according to IQAir, a Swiss air monitoring company. The WHO estimates that air pollution is responsible for 7 million deaths each year.

Delhi has been consistently ranked among the most-polluted cities worldwide by IQAir. The smog in the region typically worsens in winter when pollution from crop burning, brick kilns, and heavy traffic becomes trapped in the cold, dense air.

Chief Minister Atishi Marlena Singh criticized the national government for not taking adequate measures to combat the hazardous air quality. Forecasts indicate that the severe air pollution is likely to persist throughout the week.