WATCH: Thick Blanket Of Smog Engulfs National Capital; Citizens Complain Of Breathing Difficulties

New Delhi: Citizens in the national capital woke up to a dull Sunday as a thick blanket of smog engulfed the city, with air quality in many areas still in the 'severe' category. 

Despite the implementation of strict measures including the imposition of around Rs 5.85 crore under the third stage of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), the air quality worsened severely. Out of the 39 monitoring stations in Delhi, most of them recorded AQI of more than 400 at 8 am, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board. 

Restrictions under the GRAP stage 3 came into force on Friday, November 15. The Delhi Traffic Police issued around 550 challans for violation of a ban on the plying of BS III petrol and BS IV diesel vehicles.

A resident here complained of breathing difficulties and a burning sensation in the eyes due to the worsened pollution levels. "The pollution level has crossed 450. Everyone is facing trouble, especially the elderly who are over 60 years old. If we youngsters are facing so many issues, the senior citizens must be facing more issues," he said. 

Another resident said she felt itchiness in her eyes and difficulty in breathing. "It feels suffocating. While exiting the metro station, I sense a weird smell in the air, like something is burning. So this is creating a lot of problems for us," she said. 

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) mentioned that "severe" category air poses risks even to healthy individuals and severely impacts those with existing health conditions.