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Why is Delhi’s air pollution so bad right now?

The post-monsoon season creates ideal conditions for air pollution to accumulate in the Indian megacity.
  1. Dyani Lewis
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People walk along the Kartavya Path near India Gate amid heavy smog conditions in New Delhi.

Air pollution is spiking in Delhi, a megacity of more than 30 million people. Credit: Arun Thakur/AFP via Getty

As the Hindu festival of Diwali kicks off on 10 November, the Indian capital of Delhi, already blanketed in choking smog, is bracing for pollution to worsen. Over the past week, children struggling to breath the acrid air have flooded hospital emergency departments, and schools have been forced to close. Why is Delhi’s air pollution so bad right now?

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-03517-1

References

  1. Bikkina, S. et al. Nature Sustain. 2, 200–205 (2019).

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  2. Kulkarni, S. H. et al. Environ. Sci. Technol. 54, 4790–4799 (2020).

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