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

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.

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.

India's capital New Delhi ordered all primary schools to cease in-person classes until further notice on Thursday night due to worsening smog in the sprawling megacity.

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.