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This Before And After Diwali Photo Of India Gate Shows The Toxic Effect Of Pollution

Welcome to the gas chamber.
AP/Altaf Qadri and Manish Swarup

After a night of Diwali celebrations, Delhi woke up to a familiar sight -- a blanket of toxic smog -- as an acrid smell of burnt firecrackers lingered in the air.

Rampant firecracker burning has resulted in the Indian capital's air quality shooting up to 42 times above safe limits in the most polluted parts of the city on the night of Diwali. The government-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) recorded PM 2.5 levels of 283, which is 11 times higher than the World Health Organisation limit.

There was also low visibility across the city on Sunday night and Monday morning, with roads and buildings being shrouded in smoke. It almost looked like winter had arrived early.

On the right hand side is a photo of the India Gate on a regular day, while on the left is a photo of the monument, published by the Associated Press today, the morning after Diwali.

AP/Altaf Qadri and Manish Swarup

Many Delhi residents also shared pictures of smog during their morning commute.

Good show last night, Delhi. Now choke ! #smog

A photo posted by Pratik Prasenjit (@pratikprasenjit) on

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.