Delhi's air still 'very poor'

NEW DELHI, Nov 18 (AP): Air pollution remained extremely high in the Indian capital on Thursday, a day after authorities closed schools indefinitely and shut some power stations to reduce smog that has blanketed the city for much of the month.

New Delhi's air quality remained "very poor," according to SAFAR, India's main environmental monitoring agency.

The concentration of tiny airborne particles less than 2.5 microns in diameter - known as PM 2.5 - neared 300 micrograms per cubic meter in some parts of the city, it said.

The World Health Organization designates the maximum safe level as 25. The tiny particles can lodge in the lungs and other organs, causing long-term health damage.

New Delhi, a city of 20 million, is one of the world's most polluted cities. Air quality often hits hazardous levels during the winter, when the burning of crop residue in neighboring states coincides with lower temperatures that trap smoke. The smoke travels to New Delhi, obscuring the sky.

Emergency measures went into effect on Wednesday in an attempt to stem the health crisis.

Schools were closed indefinitely and employees were asked to allow half of their staff to work from home for a week.