Air pollution: Schools in Delhi shut for 2 days

All schools in Delhi and satellite cities of Noida and Gurugram have been ordered shut for two days as the air quality in the Indian capital again slipped into the severe category. 

The Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 460 this morning, our New Delhi correspondent reports.

The Dwarka Sector 8 in South West Delhi air monitoring centre recorded an air quality index at 496 and Nehru Nagar in South Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in central Delhi at 492.

An AQI between 401 and 500 is considered 'severe' while the AQI above 500 falls in the severe plus category.

Yesterday, the noxious smog resulting from raging farm fires and unfavourable weather had pushed pollution in Delhi-NCR towards the "emergency" zone, prompting authorities to order closure of schools till November 15 -- a second time in two weeks.

The Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) had also extended the restrictions on fuel based industries in Delhi and neighbouring areas, hot mix plants and stone crushers till the morning of November 15 as the MeT department had said strong winds are expected from Friday, which will bring down the air pollution levels to the very poor category.

Alarmed by air pollution level, Delhi government has introduced car rationing system which went into force from November 4 and will continue till tomorrow. Under the scheme, four-wheelers with registration numbers ending with odd digits ply on odd dates and those ending with even digits ply on even dates.