The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on Saturday invoked Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in Delhi-NCR after the Air Quality Index (AQI) neared the ‘Severe Plus’ mark of 450. According to the order released by CAQM, the AQI of Delhi, which was recorded at 431 at 4 pm, showed an increasing trend and rose to 446 at 6 pm due to slow wind speed, stable atmosphere, unfavourable weather parameters and meteorological conditions and lack of pollutant dispersion.

As the air quality worsened, a thick layer of toxic smog blanketed parts of national capital on Saturday evening, raising serious concerns about public health and deteriorating AQI levels. Visuals from Anand Vihar showed extremely poor visibility, with the AQI at 488, categorised as ‘Severe’, according to the

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