India: NASA's satellite images show smog not only in Delhi but from Punjab to Bay of Bengal

The air pollution level in India's capital city New Delhi continues to be 'severely bad' category as the authorities adopt emergency measures like shutting down schools and imposing traffic curbs.

The worsening air quality has been a result of many factors, with stubble burning in neighbouring states and harmful emissions from vehicles being the chief contributors.

The Worldview satellite of NASA was able to capture the toxic smog hovering in the northern parts of India on November 7. However, in the image captured, smog was seen enveloping areas from Pakistan to the Bay of Bengal.

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In the satellite data, the smog was seen coupled with a sharp increase in smoke rising from farm fires in North India.

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New Delhi remains the worst hit by air pollution

As per the data collected by NASA, there has been a sharp rise in the number of farm fires since October 29.

On October 29, the state saw a 740 per cent increase in farm fires, with1,068 incidents recorded, the highest record of stubble burning in one day in the current harvesting season.

As the air quality index (AQI) went as high as 500 in some areas of the capital city. New Delhi remained on the top of the most polluted cities index from the last six days.

The government invoked Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), a set of anti-pollution guidelines, and a ban has been placed on construction activities and diesel trucks in the national capital.

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The governments of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab have been asked by the Supreme Court to urgently speak with the Centre on how the farm fires should be stopped.

The court stated that it would not allow this issue to turn into a political battle, emphasising that the choking air quality is leading to the "murder of people's health".

The Delhi government led by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been planning to create artificial rain in the capital on November 20-21, which is likely to provide relief to residents from the pollution.

A meeting was held by Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai and Finance Minister Atishi with a team from IIT Kanpur which had stated that a spell of artificial rain is likely to help resolve this air emergency.

(With inputs from agencies)