New Delhi, Nov. 2 -- The national capital is choking again! Two weeks after Diwali, the air quality index (AQI) at AIIMS was recorded as being in the 'severe' category, at 421, on Sunday, November 2.

Researchers at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), which analysed the latest GBD data, said that, despite year-to-year fluctuations, deaths attributable to particulate matter pollution have remained persistently high, often exceeding those linked to hypertension or diabetes.

"Air pollution is not just an environmental issue; it is a public health crisis that demands science-based action across polluting sectors to achieve real and measurable pollution reduction," said Manoj Kumar, analyst at CREA.

"Unless Delhi's air qu...