While the skies were unusually clear above the notoriously polluted Beijing as U.S. President Donald Trump began his state visit Tuesday, the air quality in the capital of another Asian superpower has plummeted.
India's capital Delhi has been shrouded by smog in recent days. The U.S. embassy in the city, which routinely tweets air pollution levels, recorded the air quality index (AQI) to be at 1,010 at 4 p.m. local time (5:30 a.m. ET) on Wednesday. According to the embassy's website, a score of between 301 and 500 is deemed "hazardous."
"Delhi has become a gas chamber," tweeted Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday.
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The air pollution in Delhi is particularly severe at this time of year as nearby farmers burn crop stubble to clear their fields. This, in combination with current weather conditions of cool temperatures and low wind speeds, means that smog can fester in the city.