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.

Delhi's air quality persists in the "very poor" category, with several areas recording alarmingly high pollution levels. The Union personnel ministry has encouraged employees to adopt carpooling or public transport to mitigate vehicular emissions.

Weaker fog and surface winds of around 10km/hr failed to provide respite from air pollution, as Delhi recorded a 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) of 419

Delhi's air quality remains 'very poor' with an AQI of 381, despite slight improvements, as smog continues to disrupt daily life and pose serious health risks.