Northern India encountered the recurring annual pre-winter event of air emergency where the Air Quality Index (AQI) readings of main pollutant PM 2.5 breached the 400-mark of “very poor” and landed the air of Delhi, Punjab and other northern cities into the “hazardous” category.

New Delhi, Delhi woke up to GR Stage III restrictions on Friday, as the city’s air quality remained in the “severe” category for the third consecutive day, prompting strict measures to curb pollution levels. According to the Sameer aap , the Air Quality Index at 9 am was recorded in the ‘severe’ category , with a reading of 411.

Delhi continues to battle severe air pollution, with the air quality index (AQI) remaining in the “severe” category for the third consecutive day. The AQI stands at 498, making Delhi the world’s second most polluted city, behind Lahore, Pakistan, which recorded an AQI of 770 at 7 am, according to IQAir, a Swiss air quality monitoring company.