Delhi Air Quality Severe for Third Day, Court Urges Virtual Hearings

New Delhi's air quality plunged into the severe category for a third consecutive day on Thursday, with the Air Quality Index reaching 425 near the Supreme Court, prompting the court to urge lawyers to switch to virtual hearings amid warnings of permanent health damage from the toxic smog.

The crisis, which began escalating earlier in the week, saw the city's overall AQI hit 428 on Tuesday, the highest since December last year, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board. Readings remained above 400 on Wednesday at 418 and Thursday at 404 in the morning bulletin, affecting 27 of 37 monitoring stations. By Friday morning, the AQI improved slightly to 397, placing it in the very poor category, though 23 stations still reported severe levels, with Wazirpur recording the worst at 440. The board classifies AQI values between 401 and 500 as severe, indicating hazardous pollution that poses risks even to healthy people, particularly those with respiratory or cardiac issues.

Justice P.S. Narasimha, speaking during a hearing alongside Justice Atul S. Chandurkar, described the situation as "very, very serious" and advised lawyers to use the court's virtual facilities. "Why...