NEW DELHI, Nov 11 — India’s air pollution monitors were overwhelmed this week by toxic smog so severe that concentrations exceeded their upper measurement limit, equivalent to 66 times the World Health Organisation’s recommended daily maximum, regulators said.
The admission comes after opposition politicians accused authorities of deliberately allowing gaps in official readings for several hours overnight Sunday into Monday, just as pollution surged with a barrage of fireworks for Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights.
New Delhi is one of the world’s most polluted capitals, where winter smog from vehicle emissions, farm fires and industry already chokes millions.
But the missing readings meant official data failed to capture the full extent of the pollution at its worst.
