<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">The air turns particularly toxic every winter when farmers in neighbouring states burn crop stubble. And fireworks during the Hindu festival Diwali worsen the air quality as low wind speeds trap the pollutants in the lower atmosphere.</span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The smog-filled air, which covers the city during this time, contains dangerously high levels of fine particulate matter called PM2.5 - tiny particles that can clog lungs and cause a host of diseases.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This year too, air quality is expected to dip to the "very poor" category ahead of the festival on 24 October, due to calm winds and the stable atmospheric conditions. AFP</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">bnbd24/kh</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div>