India, Nov. 3 -- A suffocating gray haze settled stubbornly over Delhi and the wider National Capital Region (NCR) on Monday, too, with the needle on the Air Quality Index (AQI) hovering not far from the 'very poor' mark, intensifying the annual pollution crisis.

Crop-stubble fires on farms in other states such as Punjab and Haryana are yet again a reason, but the compounding effect is the overall weather condition.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data over the weekend showed that on Sunday, November 2, Delhi's overall AQI rose sharply to 366, categorised as 'very poor', from 303 the previous day, news agency PTI reported. By Monday, the AQI came down to 316, still bad enough.

The CPCB warns that at these levels particles ca...