New Delhi, Nov. 13 -- Residents in Delhi woke up on Friday to a thick blanket of haze hanging over the city's skyline, with the air quality index (AQI) remaining in the "severe" category for much of the morning. For eight hours, from the early morning until around noon, the city's air quality remained in the severe zone, underscoring the worsening pollution situation.

The city's official AQI crossed into the severe category for the first time this season at 4am. Pollution levels remained at the same mark at 8am and 9am, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

The situation was grim in the majority of areas in the city. At 8am, 33 of the 58 monitoring stations reporting data recorded "severe" air quality, while...