India's government banned non-essential construction in New Delhi, the world's most polluted capital, and urged residents to avoid burning coal for heating, to combat worsening air quality that has disrupted flights and obscured the Taj Mahal.

Thick and toxic smog shrouds India's cities and tourist sites:: November 15, 2024:: New Delhi, India"There are a lot of problems due to pollution. The elderly have difficulty breathing. We get symptoms such as sore throat,

Toxic smog blanketed northern India on Thursday, becoming too thick to see through in several places, as high levels of pollution combined with humidity, low wind speed, and a drop in temperature, officials said.

Toxic smog shrouded India's iconic Taj Mahal in Agra on Thursday (November 14), rendering it barely visible from the surrounding gardens of the 17th-century monument. The dense haze also enveloped the Golden Temple,