Delhi air pollution: AQI ‘severe’ again; thick smog reduces visibility. Schools to be closed soon?

Delhi air pollution: Delhi residents woke up to ‘severe’ air quality on Thursday morning (November 14), a day after the national capital recorded the worst AQI in the country, with dense fog blanketing the NCR, reducing visibility. On Wednesday, the Air Quality Index (AQI) turned ‘severe’ for the first time this season, even as the central pollution watchdog attributed the deterioration to an “unprecedentedly dense” fog and described it as an “episodic event”.The AQI in Delhi’s Anand Vihar was recorded at 473 (‘severe plus’) at 5am on Thursday, according to the data by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).Aya Nagar, Ashok Vihar and Wazirpur recorded the worst air quality in Delhi, with air quality crossing over 400, which falls under the severe category.Notably, Stage 4 of Grap is triggered when the 24-hour average AQI surpasses the “severe plus” threshold, based on the CPCB’s 4 pm daily bulletin. Currently, Grap Stage 2, which was implemented on October 22, remains in effect