Delhi is choking again — the Air Quality Index (AQI) has stayed above 300 for days, marked “very poor.”
By Aniket Chakraborty
Nov 5, 2025
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WORLD NEWS
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China’s spokesperson to India,
Yu Jing
, compared Delhi’s crisis to Beijing’s past and offered help.
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Image Credit | @ChinaSpox_India | X
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“China once struggled with severe smog too. We stand ready to share our journey toward blue skies,” Yu posted on X.
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According to
IQAir
, 3 of South Asia’s top 5 most polluted cities are in
India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
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India’s worst AQI levels: Kaithal (393), Baghpat (384), and Thoothukudi (486 - ‘Severe’).
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China faced a similar crisis in 2013, known as the
“Airpocalypse.”
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Beijing fought back by banning new
coal plants
, limiting car ownership, and deploying
electric buses.
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It also planted
35 billion trees
and invested over
$100 billion
in afforestation and clean energy projects.
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The result:
PM2.5 levels dropped by 33%
and particulate matter by 35% under its 2013 and 2018 clean-air plans.
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China’s success came at a cost — cutting sulphur emissions helped air quality but may have
accelerated global warming.