India's Covid-19 caseload passed nine million on Friday, as hospitals in the capital New Delhi came under increasing pressure and graveyards began to fill up.
The world's second-worst-hit country has now also registered more than 132 000 deaths from Covid-19, according to the latest official figures, which are widely seen as understating the true scale of infection.
India has seen a drop in daily cases over the past month but it is still registering about 45 000 new infections on average every day.
New Delhi, facing the dual scourge of winter pollution and coronavirus, has seen infections soar past half a million with a record rise in daily cases.
On Thursday, the megacity's government quadrupled fines for not wearing a mask in an effort to get a grip on the outbreak.
Experts say this has helped spread the disease, as has a general reluctance to wear masks and maintain physical distancing.