A thick blanket of smog has settled over the Delhi-NCR region in the past week that has reduced visibility considerably and produced a burning sensation in the eyes.
The reason for the degradation of air quality and the smog blanket have been attributed to the combination of smoke from crop burning by farmers in the neighbouring states of Haryana and Punjab, fireworks on Diwali and vehicle emissions in the area.
Read more: NASA Captures Image Of This Age Old Practice That's Being Blamed For Delhi's Dangerous Smog
According to the System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), the air quality index in Delhi on Wednesday touched the 500 mark.
The PM (particulate matter) 10 levels reached a massive 999, more than 10 times higher than the safe limit, reported The Indian Express.
And for the first time ever, more than 1,800 public primary schools in India's capital were shut on Saturday to protect children from exposure to dangerous levels of air pollution.
Being a Noida resident myself, here's a view from my balcony at 1pm IST on Saturday (5th November).
And over the past week, residents of Delhi, Noida, and Gurugram have taken to social media and shared photos of increased levels of smog and the low visibility.
So put on your gas masks and get ready to go on a toxic, blurry and teary-eyed ride.
Zero visibility at Sarai Kale Khan #Delhi #smog pic.twitter.com/jP9gWOSur0
— Tarun Kumar (@TK_Scribbler) October 31, 2016
guess #delhi didn't do too well despite pledges & health warning! Morning after air looks bad, can't go for walk :( pic.twitter.com/QunT360lfb
— Shivnath Thukral (@shivithukral) October 31, 2016
Sky shot - You give Him, sky gives back to you!! Unprecedented Smog in Delhi... Pls say no to crackers! pic.twitter.com/ekazkGNl7G
— DCP North Delhi (@DCP_North_Delhi) November 2, 2016
We also seem to have lost the qutub minor, which should be here.
— π (@pi_alize) November 2, 2016
And some socks. pic.twitter.com/YDbqUpb28M
#Winter is finally here. Love-like stuff happening. The #Noida weather right now. Sigh. pic.twitter.com/yxBPiKpjBG
— Ananya Bhattacharya (@ananya116) November 2, 2016
Brb, dying.#Noida #Delhi #Diwali #Pollution pic.twitter.com/SXqFMiIto2
— Neha Gupta (@nehagupta2918) November 2, 2016
Kalkaji, as viewed from 15th floor of a building in Nehru Place, New Delhi.
— Rajesh Advani (@advanirajesh) November 3, 2016
Pic 1: Aug 22, '16
Pic 2: Today
Around same time. #Pollution pic.twitter.com/UfLeOwCf31
Don't just blame firecrackers for smog in delhi , constant toxic fire and smoke from garbage mountain from Ghazipur dump in east delhi pic.twitter.com/lFXBg9Vb9v
— ❅ Keep Smiling (@upma23) November 2, 2016
Wtf delhi??? I don't want to step out of the plane now. pic.twitter.com/z5YSZlmyrr
— Manu Chandra 🍴 (@chefchandra) November 2, 2016
Darkness at noon with #delhipollution - flights delayed. @PMOIndia is someone listening? pic.twitter.com/cHRaNwCTEx
— Manas Fuloria (@mfuloria) November 2, 2016
View from my sister-in-law's house in Noida - 16th Floor pic.twitter.com/UEJI5QP6OQ
— Madhu Menon (@madmanweb) November 2, 2016
Is this fog? Smog? Or pure polluted air? From my balcony at 9am #Noida pic.twitter.com/iM6m6vDmHE
— vijaita singh (@vijaita) November 2, 2016
This is a pic of #DelhiSmog. Sky is full of it at 11.41am. Eyes burning. Lethal & dangerous 4 people living here. #NeedsImmediateAttention pic.twitter.com/SJ8Dn6xQ1F
— Anupam Kher (@AnupamPkher) November 5, 2016
View from my office window on Oct 24 afternoon, and this afternoon (Nov 2). What a difference a week can make! #pollution #gurgaon #delhi pic.twitter.com/p2Rrtmofbl
— Sanjiv Kapoor (@TheSanjivKapoor) November 2, 2016
Gurgaon. Enough said. pic.twitter.com/JCXAuoS1HT
— Shakti Shetty (@Shakti_Shetty) November 2, 2016
Delhi, 10am. Air pollution at 14 times safe levels. If it were my home city, I'd be ashamed #delhipollution #smog pic.twitter.com/16m27EhIGL
— Giles Gibson (@Giles_wion) November 2, 2016
Rapid #metro passing through dense #smog in #Gurgaon. pic.twitter.com/4dbPx1uuFU
— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) November 5, 2016
Gurgaon or Gurugram at 10-40 am today. Delhi has beaten Beijing in air pollution. @arunkumarhg pic.twitter.com/6V1BpvmQOe
— DP SATISH (@dp_satish) November 2, 2016
Look at the smog in Delhi this afternoon.Its an emergency situation.I hope the govts can hear the alarm bell. #RealEmergency pic.twitter.com/1Ia8U1nwr8
— Sudhir Chaudhary (@sudhirchaudhary) November 5, 2016
Traveling to Delhi by train- distressed to see burning of Agri waste in fields en route:( the resulting pall of smog in Connaught Place pic.twitter.com/tXCe3tkoHq
— Meera Sanyal (@meerasanyal) November 5, 2016
Luckily enough, some users didn't lose their humour in the smog.
Delhi is looking so apocalyptic that I'm expecting Will Smith to slowly emerge out of the smog any moment now as the last man on the planet.
— Trendulkar (@Trendulkar) November 2, 2016
The colour of Delhi's air today: Jaundice.
— Shiv Aroor (@ShivAroor) November 2, 2016
Delhi Calendar
— Gabbbar (@GabbbarSingh) November 2, 2016
Jan
Feb
June
June
June
June
July
June
June
Oct
Smog
Smog
My flight's been delayed by an hour. Probably because of the smog. Maybe the pilot can't find the landing strip. Or the airport. Or Delhi.
— Akshar (@AksharPathak) November 5, 2016
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