A U.S. embassy measure showed levels of poisonous airborne particles, known as PM 2.5, had reached 448 on Monday morning, on a scale where the maximum reading is 500 - almost nine times the upper limit of "good" quality air at 50.A major source of the smog at this time of year across northern India, including New Delhi is farmers burning the stubble of the previous crop to prepare for new plantings in November.
On Sunday, smog interrupted a match between India and Sri Lanka as the thick haze brought down visibility levels after lunch session.