As the air quality in Delhi-NCR worsened and the Air Quality Index (AQI) touched 'Severe' levels on Wednesday, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) re-imposed Stage 3 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) from Thursday.

The AQI of Delhi, which was recorded at 276 on Tuesday increased exponentially and was recorded at 365 on Thursday.

The AQI in the national Capital touched 365 due to smog and slow wind speed on Thursday.

The air quality in the National Capital Region was equally poor with Uttar Pradesh’s Noida recording AQI of 317 which is in the ‘Very Poor’ category, Ghaziabad recording 271 in the ‘Poor’ category, Haryana’s Faridabad recording ‘Poor’ AQI at 279 and Gurugram ‘Very Poor’ AQI at 310.

With the fluctuating air quality and mild weather conditions, Delhiites and residents of NCR need to stay alert regarding both pollution and the cooler mornings and nights.

The weather is transitioning from winter to milder temperatures, with daytime highs now ranging between 20 degrees Celcius and 24 degrees Celcius, while the night-time temperatures remain cooler, ranging between 12 to 14 degrees Celcius.

The next few days are expected to see the gradual fading of the cold spell, but air quality remains a concern for Delhi-NCR.

Meanwhile, with the GRAP-3 in effect in the national Capital, construction and demolition will be halted, all non-essential mining activities will be suspended, non-electric, non-CNG, and non-BS-VI diesel interstate buses will be restricted, and schools are being advised to close till Class 5 in Delhi-NCR.

Furthermore, a ban on the plying of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers will be imposed from today and commercial vehicles will be banned from entering Delhi.

According to an official notice, actions under Stage I, II and III will be implemented, reviewed and monitored to ensure that the air quality doesn't deteriorate.

According to the IMD, Delhi-NCR may experience mild rain in the beginning of February that will not only help improve the air quality of the region but will also result in a slight drop in temperature, setting to rest fears of an early summer.