India, Nov. 19 -- Delhi's air quality remained in the 'very poor' category for the fifth straight day on Tuesday, slipping again as wind speeds dipped across the region. The 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) stood at 374 at 4pm, up from 351 on Monday, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Sunday's reading was 377, keeping pollution levels oscillating with changing meteorological conditions.

Monday's brief improvement was driven by winds picking up to around 12 km/hr during the day. But speeds fell below 5 km/hr on Tuesday, allowing pollutants to accumulate. Forecasts suggest that while the contribution of stubble burning is likely to reduce as winds predominantly turn north-easterly, continued low wind speeds wil...