New Delhi, India

Air quality index (AQI) in India's capital city has plummeted again, and Delhi has returned to breathing polluted air. Meanwhile, there has been a spike in the cancer-causing pollutant PM 2.5. It penetrates the lungs and causes chronic respiratory illness. The PM 2.5 level in Delhi's air is nearly 100 times above the safe limit, as per World Health Organisation.

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Despite the measures taken by Delhi authorities to monitor pollution levels in India's capital city, the air quality remains shoddy. As per predictions, the air quality is likely to worsen in Delhi, due to which authorities have set more restrictions.

The officials at the Met office in Delhi said the double whammy of a poor air quality and ongoing severe cold wave will only add to the woes and Delhi's air quality will hover in the 'very poor' category over the next three to four days.

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As per the Centre's air quality panel, CAQM, the air quality in the dark red zones of Delhi will plunge in the upcoming days. Moreover, dense fog, calm winds, and low temperatures will accompany inferior air quality. 

CAQM has banned coal's industrial usage and has asked them to swap it for cleaner fuel. But people frequently use fuels like biomass and metallurgical coke in India's capital city.

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Due to the deteriorating air quality in Delhi, people are also questioning CAQM's Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). On January 4, CAQM relaxed tight restrictions quoting the predictions by the Indian Meteorological Department and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology.

Although the ban on coal is effective, the administration must look into a regional clean-up of Delhi, reports say. Such measures will help the industries benefit from their switch to natural gas.

(With inputs from agencies)

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