New Delhi: The problem of air pollution persists in Delhi as the air quality remained in the 'Very Poor' Quality with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 337 on Saturday morning. The national capital also remains covered in a thick blanket of smog a day after the Delhi Airport issued an advisory over low visibility.
The Centre's air quality panel on Friday said curbs under stage 3 (severe) of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) will continue in Delhi-NCR as the air pollution in the region is showing an upward trend. Meanwhile, neighbouring areas also continue to reel under the pollution crisis. An AQI of 353 (Very Poor Category) was recorded in Noida.
Delhi's 24-hour average air quality index deteriorated from 295 on Thursday to 346 on Friday, primarily due to raging farm fires and favourable conditions for transport of emissions from stubble burning to Delhi-NCR.
An AQI between 201 and 300 is considered "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 500 "severe".
"The Air Quality Index (AQI) has been showing an increasing trend for the last two days in Delhi-NCR. Wind conditions have not been very favourable and accordingly dispersion of air pollutants has not been very effective," the CAQM said in a statement.
All construction and demolition work, except for essential projects, is banned in Delhi-NCR under the third stage of the GRAP.
Brick kilns, hot mix plants and stone crushers are also not allowed to operate.
According to the data from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), farm fires in Punjab increased from 1,893 on Thursday to 3,916 on Friday, the highest this season so far.
The commission noted that north-westerly wind flow is conducive for an increase in the impact of farm fires on the capital's air quality.