Delhi air remains 'very poor' as schools ordered shut till further orders

The Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi was 385 --'very poor'-- at 8 am, according to the state-run SAFAR

Delhi's air was toxic on Friday as the state closed schools after the Supreme Court gave the Centre and the state a 24-hour deadline to fix a pollution crisis that has lasted weeks now. 

The Air Quality Index (AQI) was 385 --'very poor'-- at 8 am, according to the state-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR). Readings below 50 are considered safe, while anything above 300 is considered hazardous or 'severe'.

The Delhi government ordered schools to remain shut until further orders in the national capital due to an increase in the air pollution levels. This came after the apex court pulled up the state government over keeping the schools open and office work from home amid a rise in the air pollution levels in the city.

The apex court also slammed the state government and the Centre over the severe air pollution in the national capital and expressed concern that nothing was happening on the ground to improve the air quality. The SC set a 24-hour deadline on Thursday for the central and state government to come up with concrete ways to curb air pollution.

Delhi's air quality in November was the worst in seven years, data showed. The national capital's air quality became worse after Diwali on November 4 as people violated a ban on bursting firecrackers while the pollution compounded due to an increase in stubble burning by farmers in areas adjoining the national capital.

Delhi was this morning the world's most polluted city with an AQI of 278, said iQair, a website that tracks air pollution worldwide. The other Indian city on the website’s list of 10 was Kolkata being the fourth most polluted city worldwide with an AQI of 176.