NOIDA, April 4 -- The temperature continues to relentlessly rise in Gautam Budh Nagar, with the city recording a high of 35.7degC on Thursday. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned that the heat is set to intensify in the coming days, with maximum temperatures expected to climb to 45degC by next week, offering little respite to residents.

The rising heat, coupled with deteriorating air quality, prompted the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to reinstate Stage 1 of the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) across Delhi-NCR on Wednesday. Under this stage, restrictions on construction and dust control measures will be enforced to prevent further degradation of air quality. While pollution levels have yet to spike sign...