Kathmandu, Nov. 10 -- A thick layer of smog enveloped India's capital Monday, filling the air with an acrid smell as pollution levels surged and worsening a public health crisis that has prompted its residents to take the streets to protest and demand government action.

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By Monday morning, New Delhi's air quality index stood at 344, a level considered "severe" and dangerous to breathe, according to the World Health Organization's recommended exposure limits.

Late Sunday, hundred...