Air pollution choking New Delhi has ground outdoor work to a halt and disrupted air travel in the Indian capital.

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.

A sharp spike in Delhi's air pollution was witnessed in the past 24 hours with 30 out of 36 monitoring stations reporting a severe air quality index.

Delhi is facing a pollution emergency as AQI exceeds 450. New restrictions, including diesel vehicle bans and school closures, are now in effect to combat the worsening air quality.

As Delhi's air quality dropped to 'severe', Delhi Chief Minister Atishi announced that all primary schools in the national capital would be shifted to online modules. In a post on X, Atishi said that the online sessions will continue till further directions.