Toxic air continued to choke Delhi for the fifth consecutive day with an average Air Quality Index (AQI) measuring 421 on Monday, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data said.

With the air pollution levels not showing significant improvement, medical experts have advised those with existing heart and lung conditions and co-morbidities to avoid outdoor activities and diseases and stay indoors until the situation improves.

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has advised that children, the elderly, and those with respiratory, cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, or other chronic diseases to avoid outdoor activities and stay indoors, as much as possible.

The air quality monitoring agency mentioned this in the Graded Response Action Plan stage- IV order issued on Sunday, after the air quality levels continued to be over 450 AQI.

Meanwhile, the entire National Capital Region (NCR) recorded alarming levels of bad air falling under the ‘severe’ and ‘very poor’ categories. Greater Noida clocked an AQI of 420, Faridabad- 412, Ghaziabad recorded- 391, Noida- 384, Gurugram- 393, and Meerut- 354.

With the situation becoming stagnant, it has started to take a toll on people’s health and many people are complaining of coughing, and irritation in the eyes, and throat, while they feel making extra effort to breathe.

Meteorological conditions in the city remained not in favor, as the minimum temperature was 2 notches below the season’s average at 13.5 degrees Celsius, and the weatherman’s forecast also mentioned smoke over city skies with high relative humidity pegging at 95 per cent.

All these meteorological factors along with low wind speed allow the pollutants to settle at a lower level, delaying the dispersion of the particulate matter, as experts say.

People have started to skip morning walks and outdoor sports activities, in view of the smog cover, while parents restricted children from going out to play. Traffic cops were seen enforcing the ban on BS-3 petrol and BS-4 diesel cars from running on the city roads as part of the Graded Response Action Plan stage III.

In addition to GRAP- I, II, III, the CAQM has invoked stage IV of the anti-pollution plans that further bans entry of trucks and commercial vehicles, except those involved in essential services.