Delhi's air quality remains in 'severe' category for second consecutive day

Delhi's air quality remained severe for a second consecutive day on Tuesday due to unfavourable meteorological conditions though pollution levels are likely to ameliorate in the coming days, forecasting agencies said.

The city's air quality index had deteriorated to the "severe" category on Monday after a gap of around two months, prompting the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to direct all NCR states to implement anti-pollution curbs with greater vigour.

Delhi's 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) stood at 407 at 4 pm on Tuesday. It was 434 on Monday and 371 on Sunday.

An AQI between 201 and 300 is considered "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 500 "severe".

The Delhi government on Monday imposed a temporary ban on plying of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers in the national capital in view of the worsening air quality.

The CAQM had on Friday implemented curbs under stage 3 of the Graded Response Action Plan including a ban on private construction and demolition work.