In a little relief for residents, the average AQI of Delhi came down from ‘very poor’ category with an index value recorded at 268 on Tuesday, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

However, with the numbers in the upper range of the ‘poor’ category, the situation remains in a difficult zone, especially for those with respiratory ailments, as it could cause breathing discomfort to most people on prolonged exposure.

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Adjoining areas to the city, including Gurugram, Ghaziabad and Noida also reeled under poor air with index values recorded above 200, however, Faridabad which also shares border with Delhi recorded the average air quality under the ‘moderate category’ with the numbers pegging at 164, the daily bulletin released by the pollution monitoring agency said.

However, the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology has forecast a likelihood of an increase in

Meanwhile, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai took stock of firecracker ban enforcement in a high level meeting held here.

According to the minister, a total of 377 teams have been formed to implement a complete ban on firecrackers across the national capital as a measure towards controlling the rise in air pollution.

On Monday, city’s average AQI (air quality index) was recorded at 304, which was in the initial range of the ‘very poor’ category, while a couple of days ago a sharp spike had been witnessed in the air pollution at some of the hotspots, where the values had stepped into the ‘severe’ zone.