New Delhi - Authorities in India's capital have urged elementary schools to hold classes online, banned construction and urged people to work from home as the annual plague of air pollution hit the "severe" category in a health warning system for the first time this season. For the first time, the toxic air has drawn protests against the government, and a warning for people with health issues to simply leave Delhi if they can.

The severe designation indicates potentially serious health impacts for people with impaired immune systems, and negative affects even for healthy people, according to India's Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

The emergency measures were announced after Delhi's average Air Quality Index (AQI) sharply rose to 425. An AQI between 400 and 450 is categorized as

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