Delhi air quality nears severe zone

Delhi’s air quality inched closer to the ‘severe’ category on Monday morning with calm winds and cloudy conditions trapping pollutants, according to monitoring agencies.

A thick layer of smog blanketed Delhi and its suburbs, reducing visibility to just 600 metres at 8 am at the Safdarjung Observatory, the national capital’s primary weather station. The visibility was 800 metres at the Indira Gandhi International Airport.

An official at the India Meteorological Department said a slight increase in wind speed and light rainfall may bring marginal relief during the day. Unfavourable atmospheric conditions are likely to persist for two to three days, the official said.