Private cars running on petrol and diesel will be allowed in New Delhi only on alternate days from Nov. 4 to 15.

Residents of the Indian capital of New Delhi woke on Thursday to a thick, grey smog, as pollution surged to "severe" and "emergency" levels, with authorities showing little sign of finding new solutions to the crisis.

Residents of New Delhi woke up to a blanket of smog on Monday as air quality deteriorated sharply overnight in India's capital, triggering warnings that even healthy people were at risk of respiratory problems.