As Delhi's air quality deteriorated further on Friday morning with a thick layer of smog and haze shrouding the national capital, the country's federal pollution control board has now ordered states and local bodies to be in 'complete readiness' for emergency measures. It reduced visibility and the Air Quality Index (AQI) hit 470 on a scale of 500, according to the federal pollution control board. This level of pollution means the air will affect healthy people and seriously impact those with existing diseases. In a circular late on Friday, the board said the government and private offices should reduce the use of private transport by 30% and advised the city's residents to limit outdoor exposure. India's efforts to reduce crop-waste burning, a major source of air pollution during winter, by spending billions of rupees over the past four years have done little to avert a sharp deterioration in air quality.

Source: dna November 12, 2021 22:36 UTC