The air in the Capital became "unbreathable" on Wednesday, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) shooting up to a poisonous 517, crossing the 'severe' mark. Director of country's top medical institute, AIIMS, Dr Randeep Guleria then warned that 25,000 to 30,000 people in Delhi-NCR might lose their lives this year, due to diseases exacerbated by pollution.
"Pollution is a silent killer," he said, while comparing the situation to the 1952 killer Great Smog of London. On December 5, 1952, a thick yellow smog brought London to a standstill for four days, and is estimated to have killed more than 4,000 people