At a Glance

Extreme levels of Smog in Delhi, India, prompts officials to close schools for three days.Levels of PM2.5 soared to over 90 times the level considered safe by the World Health Organization (WHO).Visibility was reduced to a little more than 200 yards in the capital city.

Extreme levels of smog in India's capital prompted New Delhi's chief minister to close all schools for three days.

According to NDTV, , during which Arvind Kejriwal promised to enact measures that would combat the dangerous levels of air pollution, which has reduced visibility in the capital to a little more than 200 yards.

Some 1,800schools were closed on Saturday because of the pollution.

In addition to school closures, all construction and demolition work was banned for five days in the city and residents were cautioned to remain indoors and work from home whenever possible.

An Indian girl holds a banner during a protest against air pollution in New Delhi, India, Sunday, Nov. 6, 2016.

(AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

To reduce the amount of smog in the capital, water was sprinkled on major roads to suppress dust.

The government also announced that the coal-based Badarpur power plant would be shut down and landfill fires would be doused.

The measures came after levels of PM2.5 — tiny particles that can clog the lungs and worsen heart ailments — soared to over 90 times and 15 times the Indian government's norms.

The smog can be clearly seen from space.

(NASA)

It is not uncommon for pollution levels to rise in India during the winter months. Many burn rubbish to stay warm. Contributing to the recent rise in smog is the recently celebrated Hindu Festival of Lights, which features fireworks that release soot and dust into the air, according to the BBC.

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In addition, agricultural waste is burned around Delhi to clear cropland, although they are banned. Despite attempts to imposefines on farmers who break the ban, the practice continues.

An Indian family arrives at a protest against air pollution in New Delhi, India, Sunday, Nov. 6, 2016. The Delhi government has ordered that all city schools be shut, construction activity halted and all roads be doused with water as crippling air pollution has engulfed the Indian capital.

(AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

An estimated from the effects of air pollution in 2012, according to WHO data.

Hundreds of protestorstook to the streets at Jantar Mantar on Sunday, demanding that the government take effective initiatives to curb pollution.

MORE ON WEATHER.COM: India Smog

India's Smog: The World's Dirtiest Air

Smog covers buildings in New Delhi, India, in this aerial photo from May 2014. The World Health Organization reported in May that the Indian capital had the dirtiest atmosphere in the world, as it has the world's highest annual average concentration of airborne particles known as PM2.5. (AFP/Roberto Schmidt)