No End To Crisis As Air Quality Hovers Around 'Severe' Mark

Delhi's air quality index (AQI) tipped back into the "severe" zone on Sunday evening, after skirting around that level for the nearly two days, as the Capital remained in the chokehold of a poisonous haze once more this month.

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NEW DELHI: Delhi's air quality index (AQI) tipped back into the "severe" zone on Sunday evening, after skirting around that level for the nearly two days, as the Capital remained in the chokehold of a poisonous haze once more this month.

The city registered an average 24-hour AQI of 396 at 4pm, according to the Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) official bulletin. Even as this number itself was worse than 389 a day ago, the reading inched into severe territory- the most polluted of the AQI-at 9pm, with a reading of 401, according to the agency's Sameer air quality app.

By 11pm, this number touched 403. Sunday's pollution was, once again, down to local emissions, which calm winds and low temperatures did little to disperse.

Indeed, Delhi's pollution levels picked up despite smoke from farm fires in Punjab not impacting the city's air.