Pollution: Delhi's toxic winter air is back - is the Indian capital prepared? - BBC News

The Delhi government has announced a four-month winter action plan, but experts say that won't be enough.

Image source, ReutersImage caption, People exercise in a park in Delhi on Thursday, breathing in hazy, polluted air

There are two cardboard boxes in Meenu Rana's living room in Delhi. One is filled with Diwali decorations and twinkling lights. The other holds air purifiers.

"The mornings have already started feeling stuffy. It will get worse in the coming days, so it's better to be prepared," says the 43-year-old teacher.

She is not alone. Every year, as winter and the festive season approach, residents of India's capital begin preparing for something far less celebratory: months of breathing polluted air.

Delhi and its satellite cities record some of the world's highest pollution levels through the year. But as winter sets in, the air often becomes unbearable.