Images of the Statue of Liberty in New York – obscured by a thick haze of smoke caused by wildfires in neighbouring Canada – have shocked the United States.

But in the Indian capital Delhi, the iconic India Gate hidden behind a thick haze is a reality every winter.

Smoke from farmers burning crop stubble in neighbouring states mixes with pollutants released by fire crackers that are set off by millions of revellers during the Hindu festival of Diwali.

This produces a thick blanket of smog that covers the city.

The air gets dangerously bad, with pollution reaching levels nearly five times what the World Health Organization considers safe. It is the equivalent of smoking packs of cigarettes a day…

…Experts say exposure to such high levels of pollution make people more prone to all kinds of infections – they increase the risk of heart attacks and can damage vital organs like the liver and brain.

A study done by US research group Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (Epic), last year found that air pollution in Delhi can shorten lives by almost a decade.

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