Haze engulfs Delhi and nearby areas as air quality deteriorates further

In NCR, Ghaziabad, Greater Noida, Gurgaon, Faridabad and Noida recorded 'very poor' air quality

In no deviation from the usual these days, Delhiites woke up under a pall of thick haze on Wednesday with the air quality remaining in the 'very poor' category in the national capital on the second consecutive day after it showed signs of improvement.

The overall air quality index (AQI) of Delhi was recorded at 360, which falls in the 'very poor' category, according to System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting (SAFAR).

The level of PM2.5 -- particles in the air with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres -- was recorded at 198 and the PM10 level was