The air quality in Delhi suddenly turned worse on Thursday, jumping more than 100 points on the Air Quality Index and cloaking the capital in a thick, grey haze. The sudden spike into the 'Very Poor' category was blamed on the detrimental mix of smoke from farm fires in neighboring Punjab and Haryana, illegal bursting of firecrackers overnight, and adverse local meteorological conditions.

At 4 pm on Thursday, the AQI officially stood at 311 in the 'Very Poor' category, a significant jump from 202 just a day earlier. The visible difference—a shift from a relatively clearer sky to persistent, eye-watering smog—underscored the immediate public health emergency.

Farm Fire Smoke Share Hits Season High

The contribution of external sources, notably stubble burning in the neighboring states, ro

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