By: Express Web DeskNew Delhi | November 13, 2025 07:40 AM IST 3 min readVisuals show thick smog blanketing the skyline, leaving buildings and roads barely visible from a distance.The national capital continues to choke under a thick layer of smog, with air quality plunging to ‘severe’ levels.On Thursday morning, Air Quality Early Warning System (EWS) pegged the the Air Quality Index (AQI) at 409, while private monitor AQI.in showed the national capital’s AQI at 644.Visuals showed thick smog blanketing the skyline, leaving buildings and roads barely visible from a distance.GRAP Stage III comes into effectIn view of the worsening air quality, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has implemented Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across Delhi-NCR.The Delhi government has also ordered the closure of schools up to Class V and instructed all government, private, and unaided institutions to shift to hybrid mode for higher grades.PM2.5 levels at 26 times the WHO limitAccording to AQI.in, breathing air in this location is as harmful as smoking 13.9v cigarettes a day. This estimate is based on the average PM2.5 concentration over the past 24 hours, assuming continuous exposure during that time.The PM2.5 concentration on Thursday was measured at 398 µg/m³, far exceeding the World Health Organization (WHO) limit of 15 µg/m³. The current PM2.5 level in New Delhi is 26.5 times above the recommended guideline. According to the WHO, “exposure to PM2.5 can cause diseases affecting both the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, including stroke, lung cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).”Story continues below this adAlmost all parts of Delhi recorded hazardous levels of pollution, according to AQI.in.The CPCB classifies an AQI between 0 and 50 as ‘good’, 51-100 ‘satisfactory’, 101-200 ‘moderate’, 201-300 ‘poor’, 301-400 ‘very poor’, and 401-500 ‘severeStubble Burning adds to woesStubble burning is estimated to contribute about 10.1 per cent to Delhi’s PM2.5 levels on Thursday, while transport emissions are likely to rise marginally to 19.3 per cent, according to DSS projections, as reported by PTI.Satellite data showed 312 farm fire incidents in Punjab, 72 in Haryana, and 322 in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday.Story continues below this adWeather and health advisoryThe temperature in Delhi on Thursday was 19 degrees Celsius with a humidity of 18 per cent.Experts have urged residents to avoid outdoor exercise during peak pollution hours, wear N95 masks outdoors, and use air purifiers indoors to reduce exposure to fine particulate matter.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© IE Online Media Services Pvt LtdTags:Delhi air quality