Delhi's air quality index (AQI) was 347 on Monday evening, according to the daily bulletin by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
The national capital's AQI remained to be in the "very poor" category as was on Sunday at 322.
How is the air quality in Delhi-NCR?
Delhi's AQI was 347. In the national capital region (NCR), Bhadurgarh at 362 and Greater Noida at 336. Both of the cities recorded "very poor" air quality.
Faridabad's AQI was 300, and Ghaziabad's AQI was 272. Gurugram's AQI was in the "moderate" category at 203. The AQI in the neighbouring cities continues to remain in the poor category.
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Noida's AQI was 303, in the "very poor" category.
Which city has the worst air quality in India?
Rajasthan's Hanumangarh and Haryana's Jind are the most polluted cities on the list, with the AQI 428 and 416, respectively. Both the towns fall in the "severe" category.
What is Delhi doing to curb pollution?
Amid deteriorating air quality in Delhi, Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Monday stated that all diesel buses running in Delhi-NCR that are coming from other states will be banned from entry from November 1.
He said that from November 1, all the diesel buses running in Delhi-NCR coming from outside are being directed to run on alternative fuel.
Rai said, "The Delhi government is working on all the parameters under the winter action plan. Last year, the AQI on October 29 was 397, and yesterday it was 325. So there has been an improvement. We are trying to improve it further."
The environment minister added that the next 15 days are very important, and the Delhi government is preparing for them.
"All the industrial units in Delhi have been shifted from polluted fuel to natural gas. We have formed teams to monitor if anyone is using polluted fuel," he said.
Rai also appealed to the people of Delhi to turn off their vehicle's engine when there is a red signal, adding that the 'Red Light on, Gaadi off' campaign is voluntary.
What is Grap?
The Centre's Pollution Control Board (PCB) had earlier come up with its Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) measures to deal with air pollution.
Under Stage I measures, construction and demolition activities on a plot size of or above 500 square meters are halted. The restaurants and hotels are directed to stop using coal and firewood in tandoors. Moreover, the government undertakes automated cleaning of the roads for dust management. It is activated when AQI is "poor".
Under Stage II, the parking fees are hiked to reduce the usage of private vehicles. To tackle the high number of daily commuters, the frequency of local buses and Metro is increased. It is initiated when AQI is "very poor".
Under Stage III, BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers are prohibited from entering Delhi-NCR, in addition to other measures. Moreover, all construction activities, except government projects, are halted. The entry of commercial vehicles registered outside Delhi is prohibited in the capital. This stage is activated when AQI is "severe".
Under Stage IV, all construction and demolition activity is banned. The authorities are asked to devise a plan for online classes for schools and remote work for the offices. The government kicks off this stage when the pollution levels are "severe-plus".
What is AQI?
The Air Quality Index is a tool for communication of air quality status to people. There are six AQI categories, namely good, satisfactory, moderately polluted, poor, very poor, and severe.
Each of these categories is decided based on the ambient concentration values of air pollutants and their likely health impacts (known as health breakpoints). According to the AQI scale, the air quality check between 0 and 50 is "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 450 "severe".
(With agency inputs)