New Delhi: As air quality in the national capital region continues to be in severe category for the third successive day, a blanket of smog remains in the air.
Delhi Chief Minister Atishi announced in an X post that all primary schools in Delhi moved online, with severe deterioration in air quality and no respite to the situation in sight. She added that the online mode of classes will continue until further directions.
Recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 498, Delhi is the second most polluted city in the world, after Lahore, Pakistan. Lahore has AQI 770.
It is the Swiss company IQAir, which ranks cities based on their Particulate Matter 2.5 (PM 2.5) data, NDTV reported.
The areas of Jahangirpuri (with AQI 458), Bawana (455), Wazirpur (455), Rohini (452), and Punjabi Bagh (443) were the most polluted areas in Delhi on Friday morning. This is based on the Central Pollution Control Board’s Sameer App.
Palam and Safdurjung reported 500m and 400m visibilities, respectively.
The low visibility due to the smog has affected flight and rail operations across the country, including several IndiGo flights from Amritsar. Many SpiceJet flights from two Delhi and Darbhanga were running late.
While many trains were running late by up to two hours, more than 25 trains expected to arrive at New Delhi station were delayed as of Friday morning.