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NEW DELHI — Two Indian cities joined New Delhi to be among the world's worst 10 for pollution on Monday morning (Nov 13), with smoke heavy in the air a day after revellers let loose with firecrackers for Diwali — the annual Hindu festival of light.
The capital New Delhi took, as it often does, the top spot. It had an air quality index (AQI) figure of 420, putting it the 'hazardous' category, according to Swiss group IQAir.
But it was also joined in the top 10 by Kolkata in India's east, which came in fourth with an AQI of 196, while the financial capital of Mumbai was eighth with an AQI of 163.
An AQI level of 400-500 impacts healthy people and is dangerous to those with existing diseases, while a level of 150-200 brings discomfort to people with asthma, lung and heart problems. Levels of 0-50 are considered good.
A thick layer of smog had begun to circulate in New Delhi from Sunday night, sending its AQI to an alarming 680 a little after midnight.
Every year authorities impose bans on firecrackers in the capital, but only rarely do those bans appear to be enforced.
Air quality in India deteriorates every year ahead of winter, when cold air traps pollutants from vehicles, industry, construction dust and agricultural waste burning.
New Delhi's authorities postponed an earlier decision to restrict use of vehicles after a brief spell of rain on Friday brought some respite from a week-long exposure to toxic air.
The local government plans to review the decision after Diwali.
Source: Reuters
排灯节后印度3个城市跻身全球污染最严重的10个城市
新德里——周一早上（11 月 13 日），两个印度城市与新德里一起跻身全球污染最严重的 10 个城市之列。在排灯节（一年一度的印度教光明节）狂欢者放鞭炮的第二天，空气中弥漫着浓烟。
首都新德里一如既往地位居榜首。 根据瑞士 IQAir 集团的数据，该市的空气质量指数 (AQI) 为 420，属于“危险”类别。
印度东部的加尔各答也跻身前十，该城市的 AQI 为 196，排名第四，而金融首都孟买则以 AQI 163 排名第八。
400-500 的 AQI 水平会影响健康人群，并对患有现有疾病的人造成危险，而 150-200 的水平会给患有哮喘、肺部和心脏问题的人带来不适。 0-50 的级别被认为是良好的。
从周日晚上开始，新德里开始出现一层厚厚的烟雾，午夜刚过，空气质量指数就达到了惊人的 680。
每年，当局都会在首都实施鞭炮禁令，但这些禁令似乎很少得到执行。
印度的空气质量每年在冬季来临前都会恶化，冷空气会吸收来自车辆、工业、建筑灰尘和农业废物燃烧的污染物。
新德里当局推迟了此前限制车辆使用的决定，因为周五的短暂降雨使长达一周的有毒空气暴露有所缓解。
当地政府计划在排灯节后重新审查这一决定。
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