NCR air quality severe, no improvement for a few days

The air quality further deteriorated in New Delhi. With national capital and the areas around seeing "severe" level air quality with no improvement due to weather conditions over the next few days. The Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi was 409 or severe against 399.

The major pollutant PM2.5 or particles with a diameter less than 2.5mm, were well above severe levels across Delhi-NCR.  The average aggregation of PM2.5 across 36 stations was 278 micrograms per cubic meters against 271 units.

The same across 49 areas of NCR was 270 units. The safe limit for PM2.5 is 60 units as per national standards and 25 units according to the international standards. Both PM2.5 and 10 get into the lungs and cause cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, but PM2.5 is more dangerous because it mixes with the bloodstream. Warning people to skip walks and not to avoid all physical activity outdoors, System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR)