The Indian city of New Delhi has closed schools, halted construction and ordered that all roads be doused with water to settle dust in order to combat crippling air pollution.
The capital, which is one of the world's dirtiest cities, saw levels of PM2.5, tiny particulate matter that can clog lungs, climb to over 900 micrograms per cubic metre on Saturday.
This is more than 90 times the level considered safe by the World Health Organisation and 15 times the Indian government's norms.
The severe pollution at the weekend followed a week of constant grey smog.
New Delhi's chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal, said schools would be closed for three days, and all construction and demolition activity stopped for at least five days.
He also said a coal-fuelled power plant on the edge of the city would shut for 10 days.
Other measures include a 10-day ban on the use of diesel-powered electricity generators, except at locations like hospitals and phone towers.
From Thursday, all major roads in the city will be vacuum cleaned once a week.
Mr Kejriwal said people should avoid going outside until the pollution levels drop and should try to work from home as much as possible.
Air pollution soars during the cooler winter months, causing health problems for millions, especially children and older people.
Mr Kejriwal said a major reason for the pollution is crop fires in neighbouring states.
At the beginning of every winter, farmers in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh burn straw from their rice paddy crop to clear the fields for planting wheat.
The Centre for Science and Environment, which is based in New Delhi, said government data shows the smog that has covered the city for the last week is the worst in 17 years.
New Delhi's government has tried a number of methods to tackle air pollution in recent years, including tougher emissions norms for cars and a tax on diesel-fuelled trucks entering the city.
It has also banned the burning of leaves and rubbish.
Earlier this year, the city reduced the number of cars on the roads during the winter months, when air quality is at its worst.
The city has twice imposed a two-week period in which cars were allowed on the roads only on even or odd days, depending on the vehicle's registration number.
On Sunday Mr Kejriwal said the government was looking at whether it needed to reduce the number of cars again.
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