Delhi was encircled by a thick layer of smog on Saturday morning, with the air quality remaining at 397 at 9 am, falling into the "very poor" category and getting dangerously close to the "severe" mark.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) said that the 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) at 4 p.m. on Friday was 349, placing it in the "very poor" category.
Although Delhi's overall AQI was still in the "very poor" range, readings exceeding 400 at 8 a.m. on Saturday exceeded the "severe" threshold in significant parts of the nation's capital.
Wazirpur reported an AQI of 445, Jahangirpuri at 442, Vivek Vihar at 442, and Rohini at 436, according to CPCB data.

According to news agency PTI, the city's pollution levels are expected to continue declining and stay in the "very poor to severe" category during the coming days.
The air quality in the NCR remained in the "very poor to severe category," with an AQI of 317 in Gurugram, 448 in Noida, 368 in Meerut, and 351 in Sector 11 of Faridabad.
Transportation was the largest source of air pollution on Friday, accounting for 16.5%, according to the Decision Support System (DSS) for Delhi's Air Quality Management. Construction came in second at 2.2% and garbage burning at 1.4%.
Delhi's AQI was 332 earlier on Friday morning, slipping into the "very poor" category, with 30 stations reporting "very poor" values.

In the meantime, the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) announced that a panel of academicians with expertise will be assembled to devise pollution control measures.
Academicians and health professionals will be on the panel, which will be chaired by Ashok Jhunjhunwala, a professor at IIT Madras. The panel is being established in light of the "urgent necessity to develop strategies for abatement of air pollution caused by vehicular emissions in Delhi-NCR," according to a statement from CAQM.
Following stakeholder consultation, the group will provide its recommendations for the city within two months.