Schools were shut across India's capital Delhi as a noxious grey smog engulfed the megacity and made life a misery for its 30 million inhabitants. Smoke from farmers burning crop stubble, vehicle exhaust and factory emissions combine every winter to blanket Delhi in a choking haze. The public health crisis has persisted for decades and researchers have blamed the smog for hundreds of thousands of premature deaths across India. Now a team of 17 experts are monitoring Delhi’s air quality in a Green War Room and are applying countermeasures as new threats are reported. We look at the life of those struggling to get a breath of fresh air and the efforts of the war room experts.
