New Delhi: The capital is facing a public-health crisis as its air quality plunges to “life-threatening” levels. Every morning, Delhiites wake up to ashen skies and an Air Quality Index (AQI) brushing the “severe” category. Doctors, scientists, parents, and activists are now sounding the alarm: what was once a seasonal nuisance has become a systemic, year-round disaster.

Here are the 10 major drivers behind this worsening pollution emergency: ADVERTISEMENT

1. Open fires are a massive culprit

Far more than stubble-burning, open fires—such as garbage incineration, biomass burning, and heating/cooking fires—now make up more than half of Delhi’s PM2.5 and PM10 pollution.

2. Rampant waste burning

Thousands of tonnes of municipal waste go unprocessed daily. Due to poor waste segregation a

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