This photo shows people walking through a smog-covered cloud in Delhi, India. Getty Images Bank
Air quality index readings exceeded 400 at 39 monitoring stations across Delhi Tuesday, indicating a dangerous condition even for healthy people.
Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Wednesday urged the central government to approve its proposal to use artificial rain, citing a rapid increase in respiratory cases due to deteriorating air quality.
Delhi planned to induce artificial rain last year but couldn't proceed due to unfavorable weather conditions.
In northern India, including Delhi, air quality worsens annually in winter, stemming from farmers burning crop stubble in Punjab and Haryana states, vehicle emissions and dust trapped by cold air.
Hospitals report a surge in respiratory cases after the Hindu festival of Diwali on Oct. 31, when residents ignited fireworks despite restrictions.
Swiss company IQAir ranks Delhi as the world's second most polluted city after Lahore, Pakistan.
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