Dense layer of smoke covers India's capital; pollution is 58 times greater than the recommended limit

The toxic air in some areas of the city reached more than 58 times the limit recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), according to monitoring data.

During the morning, almost eight hours after the main fireworks display, levels of PM 2.5 microparticles, which can cause cancer, reached 879 micrograms per cubic meter in Mandir Marg, according to air quality monitoring organization IQAir, which cited data from a local government station.

In October, India's Supreme Court sought to limit Diwali pollution by restricting conventional fireworks and only allowing "green fireworks", under specific conditions, in three-hour windows on Saturday and Sunday.

Green fireworks produce fewer emissions, but they are not pollution-free. They also release particles and other pollutants, worsening the city's already dangerous air quality.

New Delhi and its metropolitan region, home to more than 30 million people, regularly rank among the world's most polluted areas during winter. Pollution is worsening as Diwali fireworks coincide with cooler weather and smoke from agricultural waste burning in the neighboring states of Punjab and Haryana.

The problem becomes particularly acute in late October and November, when cooler temperatures, low wind speeds and stagnant atmospheric conditions prevent pollutants from dispersing. The result is dense fog that can persist over the capital and surrounding areas for days.