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.

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.

STORY: Expectant mother Varsha Jain says she stays indoors in New Delhi to avoid breathing the toxic smog covering Northern India. Her husband is equally concerned, worrying about their child growing up in 'such polluted air'.