India's capital blanketed in smog; private construction banned

FILE PHOTO: Traffic moves along a highway shrouded in heavy smog in New Delhi, India, November 3, 2022. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's capital, New Delhi, was engulfed in thick smog early on Monday as cooler weather exacerbated pollution and the government banned private construction in and around the city to try to limit dust and emissions.

Residents of New Delhi and its suburbs endure poor air every winter as colder, heavier air traps construction dust, vehicle emissions and smoke from the burning of crop stubble in the nearby states of Punjab and Haryana.