After a short-lived improvement, Delhi’s air quality slipped sharply again on Thursday, with the city’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) rising to 264, firmly in the “poor” category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

A thick layer of smog lingered across several parts of the capital, especially around ITO, where the AQI touched 290. In North Delhi’s Narela, the air quality was almost as bad at 294.

The reversal came just a day after Delhi recorded its cleanest air in nearly a week. On Wednesday evening, the AQI had dropped to 202, a marked improvement from the “very poor” readings earlier this week.

Levels of key pollutants had also fallen, with PM10 dropping from 260 to 175.2 micrograms per cubic metre and PM2.5 from 128.2 to 85.5.

But by Thursday morning, most

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