Delhi is choking in smog

As the nations of the world discuss strategies to reduce emissions at COP23 in Bonn, on the other side of the world, thick smog has engulfed the Indian capital Delhi.

Smog is quite common in Delhi. In fact, the city on the Yamuna river is a sad record holder: it is the capital city with the worst air quality in the world.

While the advent of winter doesn't bring snow in Delhi, it habitually makes conditions worse in the megacity. That's because the cooler air traps the smog close to the ground.

An important contributor to smog is usually motorized traffic, which holds true for Delhi as well. Beyond that, farmers in nearby rural areas traditionally burn their fields after harvest, thereby making their own contribution to air pollution. This practice is technically banned but authorities tend to turn a blind eye.

This year, Diwali added to the pollution. The Hindu festival of light not only brought a lot of traffic to the city, it also involved burning large amounts of firecrackers. And it goes on for five days!

The smog in the city has gotten so thick that it has become difficult to breathe. It burns the eyes and throat and many people complain of headaches. It even obscures the sun.

People try to protect themselves against the fine particle pollution as best they can using scarves and face masks. But there is really no escaping it.

On Wednesday, pollution levels in the city reached almost 30 times those considered safe by the World Health Organization.

Even heads of state can't escape the thick air. The Belgian King Philippe, inspecting a military guard of honor during his state visit to Delhi is shrouded in smog just like everyone else.

In a first measure to reduce pollution, the city government has targeted motorized transportation. By lowering fares on public transport and raising the fees for parking, it hopes to keep people from driving.

The chocking smog has also led the city to shut all schools for the remainder of the week.

People in Delhi are fed up with the chronically bad air quality in their city. These women wearing face masks are on their way to a protest. So far, the city's response to the crisis has been half-hearted at best.