On Saturday morning, a thick layer of smog enveloped Delhi as air quality in several parts of the city plummeted to the 'very poor' category, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). While air quality in parts of Delhi-NCR was already poor on Friday, it further worsened on Saturday.

At the time of reporting, areas like Anand Vihar, Rohini, Mundka, Dwarka-Sector 8, Narela, and Jahangirpuri recorded AQI levels of 334, 340, 372, 343, 328, and 353, respectively, all falling under the 'very poor' category.

These locations are among the 13 identified pollution hotspots where AQI levels have surged above 300 over the past few days, according to Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai.

Other areas such as Bhikaji Cama Place, ITO, India Gate, and AIIMS remained in the 'poor' category, with AQI readings of 273, 226, 251, and 253, respectively.

The overall 24-hour average AQI in Delhi stood at 292 as of 4 p.m. on Friday, categorized as 'poor.' Meanwhile, AQI levels in nearby regions like Gurugram, Ghaziabad, and Greater Noida also reflected poor air quality, recording values of 204, 258, and 264, respectively.

To address the escalating pollution, Rai mentioned the formation of coordination committees to identify and mitigate local sources of pollution in the 13 hotspot areas. Additionally, 80 mobile anti-smog guns have been deployed across these locations.

The poor air quality has been attributed to multiple factors, including emissions from stubble burning and waste fires, along with unfavorable weather conditions that trap pollutants in the air.

The Delhi government had earlier announced the implementation of Graded Response Action Plan-1 (GRAP-1) to curb pollution. GRAP-1 includes measures aimed at reducing dust emissions at construction sites, managing waste, and regularly cleaning roads.

Delhi Chief Minister Atishi had urged residents to refrain from using firecrackers and to consider carpooling in an effort to reduce air pollution.

According to the AQI scale, a score between 0-50 is considered "good," 51-100 is "satisfactory," 101-200 "moderate," 201-300 "poor," 301-400 "very poor," and 401-500 "severe."