Views of the famed Taj Mahal in Agra, India, have been obscured by smog. New Delhi has a severe air quality level of 424, according to live rankings kept by Swiss group IQAir, the worst among global capitals. The city battles smog — a toxic mix of smoke and fog — every winter as cold air traps dust, emissions and smoke from illegal farm fires. Delhi flights faced delays, with tracking website Flightradar24 showing 88% of departures and 54% of arrivals were delayed as of Thursday afternoon due to smog. Lahore, the capital of Pakistan’s eastern province of Punjab, was rated the world’s most polluted city on Friday, in IQAir’s rankings.

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Persons: Atishi, Taj, Pawan Sharma, stubble, Manish Swarup, ” Sahab Ram Organizations: DELHI, Delhi, Getty Locations: New Delhi, Agra, India, Amritsar . New Delhi, Swiss, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Punjab’s Fazilka, Lahore, Pakistan’s