Summary:
New Delhi: Air quality in the national capital entered the very poor category on Wednesday and is likely to turn severe over the next two days due to prevailing calm winds and increased incidents of farm fires, officials said. The national capital's air quality index (AQI) was 301 at 4 pm on Wednesday, up from 242 at 4 pm on Tuesday, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). An AQI between 201 and 300 is considered "poor", 301-400 "very poor" and 401-500 "severe". The government's air quality monitoring and forecasting service SAFAR said the air quality in Delhi may enter the severe category in some parts of Delhi by Friday. The smoke from stubble burning accounted for 14 per cent of Delhi pollution on Wednesday..