Delhi's air quality 'severe' for fifth day in a row, quick relief unlikely

The National Green Tribunal on Monday imposed a total ban on sale or use of all kinds of firecrackers in the National Capital Region (NCR) from November 9 midnight to November 30 midnight

The blanket of smog over Delhi thickened on Monday, reducing visibility in parts of the city to just 400 metres as the air quality remained "severe" for the fifth consecutive day.

Government agencies and experts said calm wind was exacerbating the effect of stubble burning and a "quick recovery" is not possible unless the number of farm fires reduces drastically.

V K Soni, the head of the India Meteorological Department's environment research centre, said a major improvement in Delhi-NCR's air quality was "highly unlikely" in the coming days.

"The air quality is likely to be recorded in the upper end of the 'very