(MENAFN- IANS) New Delhi, Nov 19 (IANS) Pollution levels across Delhi-NCR remained in the 'severe' category on Wednesday, as a dense blanket of smog continued to engulf the region, further worsening the air quality crisis.

Several monitoring stations recorded alarming figures, with Wazirpur (578), Knowledge Park-5 in Greater Noida (553), and Bawana showing some of the worst conditions.

Multiple locations in Noida and Greater Noida also saw AQI values rise well above the 400-mark, including Sector 125 at 434, Sector 62 at 367, Sector 1 at 411, Sector 116 at 440, and Knowledge Park 3 at 423.

In Delhi, Jahangirpuri recorded an AQI of 442, while Chandni Chowk, Ashok Vihar, DTU, and Vivek Vihar reported values between 430 and 440, according to the CPCB's Sameer app.

Several other neighbourhoods, including Sonia Vihar, Rohini, RK Puram, Punjabi Bagh, North Campus, Nehru Nagar, Narela, Mundka, and Anand Vihar, also reported AQI readings above 400, reflecting hazardous conditions across the capital.

The India Meteorological Department has forecast mainly clear to hazy skies for the next 48 hours, offering little immediate relief from the worsening smog.

On Tuesday, the Central Pollution Control Board issued its evening bulletin, placing Delhi's average air quality in the 'very poor' category, noting that several NCR cities, such as Greater Noida and Ghaziabad, had slipped into the 'severe' range.

In response to GRAP Stage 3 restrictions, several pollution-control steps have been activated, including a ban on construction activities, water spraying on major road stretches, and traffic-related curbs across Delhi-NCR.

Schools in the capital have shifted primary classes to hybrid mode as a precautionary measure amid the persistently dangerous air quality.

Recently, growing frustration over the deteriorating air quality sparked anti-pollution protests in the capital. Social organisations, student groups, and local residents took to the streets, urging authorities to intervene without delay and enforce stronger measures.

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