Capital chokes for second day in a raw

Government closes schools for the rest of the week, entry of trucks and bans construction

Girls walk to their school in heavy fog in New Delhi on Wednesday

For the second day in a raw, Delhiites on Wednesday faced a toxic level of pollution, forcing the government to shut schools for the rest of the week, stop the entry of trucks carrying non-essential goods and ban construction.

On Tuesday, the Air Quality Index of the Central Pollution Control Board(CPCB) had hit 'severe'

for the first time season, with a value of 448.

AQI severe

Wednesday saw the AQI remain in a severe category, but increase to 478.

Apart from Delhi, neighboring Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon, and Noida were also in the 'severe' category.

According to the CPCB, the still conditions on the ground coupled with winds bringing pollutants from crop burning as well as moisture from neighboring States had led to the dense haze settling in the National Capital Region.

The smog persisted through the day, bringing a fall in maximum and minimum temperatures. High humidity and low wind speed continued to create conditions favorable for fog. visibility between 5.30am and 8.30am was 200 meters.

The India Meteorological Department issued a warning for dense to very fog on Thursday and Friday in the morning over Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh and north Rajasthan.