Thick smog shrouds New Delhi after Diwali firecrackers add to seasonal pollution

New Delhi, home to over 30 million people, regularly ranks among the world's most polluted areas during winter, with pollution worsening in late October and November.

<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/8246x5497+0+0/resize/8246x5497!/quality/85/format/webp/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F0f%2Fa0%2F9498db764f74bf5081bd7fb99824%2Fap26313155738342.jpg' alt='People walk in front of India Gate, shrouded in thick smog after firecrackers lit up the sky overnight during Diwali celebrations, in New Delhi, Monday, Nov. 9, 2026.'/><p>New Delhi, home to over 30 million people, regularly ranks among the world's most polluted areas during winter, with pollution worsening in late October and November.<br><br><br><br></p><p>(Image credit: Manish Swarup)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=g-s1-152634' />