Most parts of Delhi and its neighbouring areas, including Noida, Ghaziabad, and Gurugram, remained engulfed in smog for the third consecutive day on Friday. Anti-pollution curbs under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) Stage III have come into effect as the Air Quality Index (AQI) in several areas reached 'severe' levels.

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.

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.