Pollution levels in Chandigarh - India's first planned city, located about 240km (150 miles) from capital Delhi - have been at more than 15 times the safe limit recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for more than a month. It is now common for air quality in the city to dip every winter, but Mr Ali says he has never felt so sick before.

Residents in India's northern states woke up to another day of poor air quality on Tuesday, as a layer of dense fog shrouded most of the region, and pollution in the capital Delhi remained severe. India battles air pollution every winter as cold,

Northern India, particularly Delhi, faces severe air pollution as dense fog and emissions render the air dangerous to breathe. With AQI peaking at 491, the government imposed restrictions on vehicles and construction.

A suffocating haze of toxic smog in New Delhi will prevent Charlotte de Witte from performing as the city cracks down to halt further environmental damage. The techno superstar's Sunburn Arena performance, which was scheduled for this weekend, has officially been cancelled as the city grapples with the toxic air conditions.

Strong surface winds (at speeds of 15km/hr) that had helped disperse pollutants on Sunday, dropped to near-calm levels of 4-6km/hr by Monday morning, leading to a haze engulfing the city again. Delhi’s 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) was recorded at 285 (“poor”) at 9am on Monday,